Life After
by Kraven Ergeist
Summary: 10 Years after the events of Evangelion, Shinji is now a wealthy bacherlor living in Munich, when he gets an unexpected visitor. What begins as a friendly encounter turns into a struggle beyond imagination. Action, Angst, and Femme Fatales.  FINISHED!
1. Chapter One

**Evangelion Fan Fiction**

**Life After**

By Kraven Ergeist

Chapter One

It wasn't the enormous manse that impressed her. She had seen many like it, particularly in Munich. It had ornate balconies; courtyards bearing cherubic studded fountains, and expanded outwards in intricate wings and buttresses.

It wasn't the enormous expanse of property surrounding the mansion either. The surrounding countryside was wide and peaceful, and was littered with paths weaving into wooded areas, open fields, and shining lakes.

It wasn't even the locale that impressed her, thought it was surprising.

_Why here_? Asuka thought. _Why here? He _knows_ that I live here._

Asuka had been alone since it happened. NERV and Eva had taken away everything she had in life, which left her with just that when she returned home to Germany after it had all come down. She had always wondered what had happened to her fellow pilots, though she had never gone out of her way to seek them out.

Fate, however, has a way of catching up to you.

The plaque mounted on the outside of the stonewall surrounding the manse was labeled, quite plainly:

IKARI

Asuka drew in her breath. _This_ was what impressed her.

xxxxx

"Good afternoon," said the young lady who answered the door. "Are you expected?"

Asuka glanced up at the expansive abode and wondered whether this was the Ikari she was thinking of.

"No…but I'm looking for a…Shinji Ikari?"

The woman nodded, politely. "Yes, he lives here, but I'm afraid Master Ikari is not in at the moment. Can I tell him who's calling?"

"An old friend," the redhead said, flatly. "Asuka Soryu."

"Oh, miss Soryu!" the woman exclaimed. "Master Ikari speaks very highly of you."

Asuka smiled. "Really?"

The lady nodded. "Yes, indeed. He said that you were completely unrivalled in talent, strength and beauty."

Asuka beamed. "Well, I'll be darned…ol' Shinji still remembers me."

"Of course," the housekeeper smiled. "Come in, come in…the master should be home shortly."

Asuka smiled and followed, obliged, and found herself awestruck by that manse's interior, which almost rivaled the exterior.

"Would you like some tea?" the lady offered, politely.

Asuka pried her eyes from the surrounding architecture. "Oh, yes, please."

The lady nodded and gestured to a couch in a sitting room off to the left. "Just a moment, please."

Asuka sat down, as the housekeeper asked one of the maids to bring in some tea, and picked up the telephone.

"Hello, is Master Ikari available? He's not? Well, could you inform him that he has a visitor back here at the manse? Yes, thank you. Anyway, how are you faring Miss Ayanami?"

Asuka set down the cup of tea she was drinking with a start.

"Ayanami…?" she whispered.

"Mm-hm…that's good…very well, then. Please give Master Ikari my message. Thank you. Bye."

Asuka glanced around the ornate furnishings, pretending not to care about what she had just heard. "So…how long have you been working for Shinji, miss…?"

"Aoba," she said, kindly. "Naomi Aoba."

"Aoba?" Asuka repeated. "That name…"

"Oh, yes, you worked at NERV, didn't you? My older brother worked there also. At least, until it was shut down."

Asuka rubbed her temples, trying to pace the name. "Aoba…Aoba…Shigeru! The NERV tech! The one who played guitar! He's your brother?"

Naomi nodded. "Yes he is. He has told me much about NERV, as well as the people who worked there. He was the one who first introduced me to Master Ikari."

Asuka nodded, taking another sip of her tea. "It's not like Shinji to indulge in a house like this."

Naomi nodded. "I've watched him change over the years. He's become a very successful scholar. He's working on a PhD in musical psychology. Oh, that reminds me, he's performing at the Guggenheim music hall this evening. I'm sure he'd be delighted if you attended."

Asuka smiled. "I'll be there."

There was a slight noise as the front door opened and closed, and Asuka rose from her seat in time to see him.

"Hello, Asuka," Shinji said.

Asuka nodded. "Shinji."

"Almost ten years now," Shinji sighed, stepped past her and seating himself comfortably next to her. Naomi was already preparing his cup of tea.

"Thanks, Naomi," Shinji said.

Naomi smiled, leaving with a blush.

Asuka scowled. "So…not that it's any of my business…but, well…I can…see quite a lot has changed since we last saw each other."

Shinji nodded. "You mean this place? Turns out my father had left me quite an allotment, including the deed to this manse. I didn't want to take it at first, but the German government said that if I didn't, they'd tear the place down and use it for post-impact housing. A worthy cause, but…I just didn't want to see this place get destroyed."

Asuka nodded. "I see. What about the cute housekeeper? I saw that smile she gave you."

Shinji sighed, shaking his head. "Naomi? She's been working here for years, she knows I'm not going to give into her. It's really not my style to hire help around the house, but it was expected with my status, and…well, it would be hard to keep this place together all by myself. To be fair, I pay my hired help three times the normal amount for the type of work they do."

Asuka blinked. "Your status?"

Shinji sighed. "You really haven't been keeping track of me, haven't you? I'm the Guggenheim philharmonic symphony's finest cellist, and Germany's wealthiest, most desirable bachelor. I don't particularly care for these labels; it's all false pretense. But nevertheless, it's what I am to society. I just happened to know Naomi when I first started living here. She had just lost her job, and had to stay with her brother. So, I offered her a job here, as well as room and board. That was well before I achieved this awkward title, so she's the only one I can trust to work here for my sake, and not for the money's sake."

Asuka found herself once again in awe. "Wow…you've really come a long way."

She sat back down, keeping a fair distance from him.

"So…how's Misato been?" Shinji asked.

"I was going to ask you that," Asuka shrugged, leaning her head back and staring at the crystal chandelier hanging on the ceiling. "I haven't seen her since it happened. I lost touch with just about everyone. I suppose I could have looked harder, but…there just didn't seem to be a point."

Shinji nodded. "Well…how have _you_ been doing, then?"

Asuka shrugged. "Just going through the motions. I landed a decent position as assistant vice president at VERSTAND."

Shinji nodded. "Isn't that the company that took control of the Eva's after NERV liquidated?"

Asuka nodded. "Yeah, but it's basically the same organization. Dr. Ibuki and Hyuga-san work there also."

Shinji nodded. "Doesn't it feel…wrong…to still be working for them?"

Asuka shook her head. "Shinji…your father's dead. He's not coming back to haunt you."

Shinji shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Think about it: the first organization is called GEHIRN, German for 'Brain.' Then NERV, German for 'Nerve.' And now it's VERSTAND. Correct me if I'm wrong, my German isn't perfect, but doesn't that mean 'Mind?'"

Asuka nodded. "So? What's your point?"

Shinji shook his head. "That there's something behind all of this. Something that's been pulling the strings of all three companies for some ulterior motive. The UN, and both the Japanese and the German government have been satisfied that whoever was behind all of it was brought to justice, but in reality, they're just being fooled."

Asuka shook her head. "I'm not getting into this. I've put up with enough shit in my life already. We both have."

Shinji nodded. "You're right. Let's change the subject."

Asuka nodded back, knowing exactly what she wanted to know next. "Good. So, what were you doing with Ayanami? Sounded important judging from Naomi's tone of voice."

Shinji sighed. "It's not what you're thinking, Asuka. Rei's been in therapy ever since when we all split up."

Asuka blinked. "Still? How long until they let her out?"

Shinji shook his head. "It's…hard for them to say. Whatever it is that my father was doing with her, it had a lasting effect. But that's not what today was about. Do you know what today is?"

Asuka glanced at her watch and shook her head

Shinji nodded. "The day my mother died."

Asuka drew in her breath. "…Oh…I didn't know."

Shinji nodded. "It's ok. Anyway…Rei wanted to accompany me to the memorial…since…well, we know how she's involved."

Asuka nodded. "I still have trouble believing it. And to think I thought you two would have made a swell item. But, hey, your kids would have looked horrible anyway."

Shinji frowned. "Don't joke about it, Asuka. She can't bear children."

Asuka swore. "Jeez, what else have they done to her?"

Shinji shook his head. "I don't know all the details, and she…doesn't like to talk about it."

Asuka nodded. "I think it's time for another change in subject. So…Naomi tells me you're performing at the Guggenheim tonight?"

Shinji nodded. "I am."

Asuka rose and feigned a courtesy. "Do I get the honor of watching you perform?"

Shinji chuckled. "I didn't think you'd appreciate my skills _that_ much, Asuka." He winked. "Or, are you just after the money, like every other girl who's flaunted themselves towards me?"

Asuka looked flabbergasted. "Oh, you think I'm flaunting myself, Shinji? You think I'm just going to drop down before and beg to be taken in?"

Shinji laughed out loud. "Oh, come on, Asuka. I've known you long enough to know that you'd sooner die."

Asuka grimaced. "Touché."

Shinji smiled. "Tonight, then? There's a guest bedroom in the west wing, and you're welcome to stay the night."

Asuka pursed her lips. "Now who's flaunting themselves?"

Shinji sighed. "No funny business. Just a free room and board. Five star quality. Oh, and I'll have Naomi provide room service at no extra charge."

Asuka pretended to think about the idea, though the conclusion was already in her head. "Free room service, eh?"

"And there'll even be a little chocolate mint on your pillow."

Asuka smiled, clapping Shinji on the back, causing him to start with a laugh. "Well, in that case, Shinji, I'm sold."

xxxxx

Asuka had to admit – Shinji was good. He was good when she knew him when they were kids…but this was on a whole new level.

Shinji was not one of the cellist's in the orchestra…he was the conductor…and the composer!

Asuka watched in fascination as the boy she ridiculed and thought so little of in the past performed an awe-striking masterpiece to perfection. And when it was done, the audience roared and cheered and screamed and encored for more.

Shinji simply stood where he was, his eyes closed, bowing time after time, presenting the orchestra as best as he could.

Asuka couldn't help but smile as she joined in the applause. "He never could take a compliment…but here, he doesn't have to. He just has to stand there and bow after doing a good job. That's all that expected of him. That, he can do. You did well, Shinji."

Asuka had some difficulty finding Shinji after the theatre cleared out. But finally, she found him.

His back was to her, and from the looks of things, he escorting someone to a cab. Someone…that she recognized.

She approached, warily, trying not to be seen. The woman he escorted had short, ear length hair, wore a simple wool shawl, and had pale, red eyes.

Asuka was taken aback. It was Rei! She hadn't recognized her before, but now there could be no doubt. It was her! And despite her garb, she did not look all too well.

She was frail, delicate, and fragile in appearance. She looked as though she might collapse at any moment. She was still pale, uncomfortably so, and though she was clearly trying to hide it, she shook as she stepped.

Asuka could catch snippets of their conversation.

"Thanks for coming, Rei," Shinji said, placing her coat on her shoulders.

Rei said something Asuka couldn't hear.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, to see you back?"

Rei said something; again, that Asuka didn't catch.

"Well…alright. Take good care of yourself, Rei, you hear me?"

Rei's lips moved again.

"I will. Thank you again. Good night."

Rei slowly entered the cab, and Shinji watched it disappear into the night.

"That was…Ayanami?" Asuka said, not really as a question.

Shinji started, slightly, at her appearance, but recomposed himself. "Yeah…"

Asuka smiled. "It's good that she gets out of the psych ward…a life spent living there can't be healthy."

Shinji's voice caught in his throat, and he didn't respond. He only turned away, a look of pain in his eyes.

"W…what's wrong?" Asuka prodded.

Shinji turned back to her, and she saw tears in his eyes. "She…she doesn't have much time left, Asuka…"

Asuka drew in her breath. "What? You mean, she's going to…"

Shinji nodded, his head, turning away.

"I just found out from the doctors today…she still has no idea. All these years of studying…I haven't just been studying the arts, I've been studying medicine as well. Looking…looking for a cure. All this time…I've been less than a five-minute's drive from where they kept her. And I _still_ couldn't do anything for her!"

Asuka held back a pained look. Rei Ayanami…dying? Something about that just didn't click in her mind. Rei was always the resilient one. The one who would stand even when the rest of them were helpless. She always found a way to push on. How could she have lost now?

Asuka approached the man standing before and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said, whole-heartedly.

Shinji reached up and placed his hand on hers.

They stayed that way for a while. Shinji just let it all out of him. And the whole time, Asuka reflected on her memories of their days in the past. Of Shinji, and of Rei. How had she treated Shinji? How had she treated Rei? Was this…was this somehow her fault?

She pushed those thoughts from her head. No…how could she have caused this? The worst she ever did was banter them and push them away. Nothing she had done could have had any lasting effects.

Shinji let go of Asuka's hand.

"Thank you," he muttered, wiping his eyes.

Asuka was about to say something, when someone came running to them.

It was Naomi.

"It's not safe here, sir," she said, hurriedly.

Shinji was instantly awake and alert. "What's wrong, Naomi?"

Naomi ran up to him and threw a cloak over him, covering his face. "No time to explain. We must go, now! You too Mrs. Soryu!" she tossed the redhead a cloak. "They'll recognize you too. Keep your face hidden."

"What?" Asuka demanded. "Who will?"

Naomi just urged Shinji on, and Asuka had to race to keep up, half the time demanding to know who they were running from, and the other half of the time, struggling to get the hood to fit right over her head.

When they finally reached a secluded area, they stopped for a break. They were at the edge of the city, just before they hit the suburbs that led to Shinji's manse.

"Well," Asuka said indignantly. "Now that you've lead us through half of Munich, are you going to tell us what we were running from?"

Naomi was tending Shinji, who was sitting down, catching his breath. With all his scholarly studies in the past, he had very little time for exercise, and was not in the best physical shape.

Looking up form her duties, Naomi looked at Asuka. "Should I tell her, Master Ikari?"

Asuka's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what?"

Shinji took a deep breath, and looked up. "Yes, Naomi. She is a trusted friend. There's no reason to keep it from her."

Naomi nodded, and stood up. "I am afraid that, since arriving in Munich, Master Ikari has been…hunted."

Asuka stared hard. "Hunted?"

Naomi nodded. "By whom, we are not exactly sure. But Master Ikari is convinced that they have something to do with his prior involvement with NERV and Project-E."

Asuka nodded. "That would make sense. We had to go through quite a lot of legal proceedings after everything that's happened."

Naomi nodded. "Except the group that is performing these attacks are not working with the law. And since we have informed the police time and time again of these occurrences, they have yet been able to find anything pertaining to them. So, we know that either this organization has enough mettle to hide not only from the local police forces, but the UN security division as well. Or…"

"…Or, whoever it is, is working above the law, subsidized by the government to find us," Asuka finished.

Naomi nodded. "Master Ikari is correct. Your have intellect beyond your years.

Shinji gave the faintest hint of a laugh.

"So, what do we do now?" Asuka prodded, uncomfortable with staying in one place for too long.

"I've already called for our limousine to pick us up here," Naomi said. "But for now-"

"Freeze!"

The three of them jerked their heads to see where the voice had come from. Their eyes showed them five dark silhouettes, with the glowing white in their eyes from night-vision masks.

Naomi gave the slightest glance towards Shinji. "Master…?"

Shinji nodded. "I'll be fine. Do your thing, Naomi. But please…don't get yourself killed."

Naomi nodded. "I will try, master."

Before Asuka could even ask what was going on, Naomi had removed her cloak, revealing something that Asuka could only say was a plug suit. Only, this plug suit looked like it was armored, built for combat.

"What the-"

Before she could finished the sentence, Naomi disappeared. She reappeared behind the nearest of the attackers, moving within the blink of an eye. Before Asuka knew it, she had moved again, and the first troop had fallen.

They were firing now, rapid bullet fire searching blindly for a target that disappeared before their eyes. Naomi moved like a shadow, disappearing and reappearing like a ghost, delivering precise, deadly blows, knocking each of the soldier down.

She had dealt with the last one, before she finally held still long enough to be perceived.

Asuka was spellbound. "Wh…wh…what the hell was THAT?"

Naomi turned around and looked at her, a serious look on her face. "Like I said, the police could do nothing. We've had to rely on our own means for assistance. So, Shinji pulled a few strings, and got VERSTAND to lend me one of their prototype combat suits. It gives me unprecedented advantages over conventional weaponry, and allows me to move as fast as your Eva's, without the need for external power. You see…I am not merely Shinji's housekeeper…I'm his bodyguard as well."

Shinji got to his feet, brushing himself off. "You did well, Naomi. I trust you are not hurt?"

Naomi nodded. Smiling, Asuka noticed. She only seemed to smile when she talked to Shinji. "Yes sir, I'm perfectly fine."

Shinji breathed in. "That's good to hear. Asuka, I trust you are well too?"

Asuka recomposed herself. "Oh, I'm hard to beat."

Shinji feigned a laugh. "Well, that's the Asuka that I know talking."

Naomi put her cloak back over her shoulders. "I've called the police. They'll come and investigate the scene."

Shinji shook his head. "It'll still be the same. Nothing traceable. No records. Nothing."

Naomi sighed. "At least, you are not hurt, master."

Shinji nodded. "Thank you, Naomi."

That's when the limousine finally arrived.

xxxxx

The three of them returned to the manse. Only after entering the second time did Asuka notice the heavy security. She had not picked up more than what was expected from her initial visit. It had been so well disguised into the scenery, that she had over looked it.

Once they were safely indoors, Naomi offered to make tea in order to calm their nerves.

"Thank you," Shinji said, after taking his cup. Catching the look in Asuka's eye, Shinji took a cue. "That will be all for tonight, Naomi. Why don't you get ready for bed?"

Naomi nodded, thanking the master before retiring.

"Well…she's certainly got more to her name than meets the eye," Asuka said, sardonically.

"Well, you know me…" Shinji said. "I always was crazy over the strong, beautiful ones."

Asuka raised an eyebrow, but Shinji just took a sip of his tea. Something told her that he did not need to be looking to picture her reaction.

"She seems…nice," Asuka muttered. "So tell me…what do you think of her?"

Shinji blinked. That had been unexpected. "She's dedicated to her work. She's got quite a lot of talent for someone in her…particular field. And she's one of the few people I can trust."

Shinji's eyes had been wandering for every line save t hat last one. As soon as he'd mentioned trust, he'd locked eyes with Asuka.

It made Asuka smiled. It told her that, if it were up to Asuka to save Shinji's life, he wouldn't be worried in the least.

"So…Germany's most eligible bachelor, huh? That's quite a title."

Shinji nodded. "Yep. I've had a lot of proposals. From girls as young as we were back then, to old enough to be my grandmother."

Asuka chuckled. "And still you resisted?"

Shinji winked. "I've been desensitized by the best."

Asuka gave a fake sneer. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Shinji laughed. "You know perfectly well what I'm implying Asuka!"

"Well, then, it's no wonder Naomi fancies you so much."

Shinji shook his head. "Naomi respects me, and cares for me like an older sister, but I don't think she feels that way for me."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Just like the way wonder girl wasn't head over heels for you."

Shinji frowned, looking away.

"Oh…" Asuka said, realizing what she'd said. "I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean to bring that up."

Shinji shook his head. "It's okay, Asuka. Not talking about it won't make it go away."

Asuka just nodded.

"I think it's time we go to bed. I'll be up the stairs and to the right. Naomi will take you to your room, and show you where everything is."

Asuka bowed, politely. "Thank you, Shinji."

Shinji nodded back. "You're welcome."

Asuka took a step towards the stairs, before stopping. Turning, she stepped over to Shinji, and threw her arms around him, hugging him closely.

"I'm…I'm glad I got to see you again, Shinji."

Shinji nodded, happier than he'd been in a long time. "I am too Asuka."

"Good night."

"Good night."

xxxxx

As Naomi helped Asuka get settled in, Asuka took in the accommodations, remarking in vivid fascination at the sheer quality of the architecture and the interior design. The work of experts, there was no doubt.

Naomi placed some towels by the bathroom door. "Everything you need should be here. If you need anything I'll be just down the hall. Will there be anything else, Mrs. Soryu?"

Asuka threw a glance around the room. "No, I think I'm fine. Thank you."

Naomi bowed her head, and turned to go.

"Naomi?"

She turned, halfway out the door already. "Yes? Was their something else?"

Asuka hesitated before asking. "Um…I'd like to ask you something?"

Naomi nodded. "Is this about earlier?"

Asuka shook her head. "No. Well, I'm curious about that too, but…what I was going to ask was…what are your feelings towards Shinji?"

Naomi blushed, solidly. "M-Master Ikari? Um…he's…a very respectable person. He's taught me a great deal about life, and the stories he tells me of his past endeavors with NERV and the Angels are fascinating."

Asuka shook her head. "You didn't answer my question, Mrs. Aoba. What are your _feelings_ towards Shinji?"

Naomi blushed even more. "I…I'm sorry, Mrs. Soryu, but…I've must be going. Good night!"

Naomi ran off, her face beet red. Asuka just sighed, smiling.

"That's what I thought."

Asuka sighed, wandering over to her bed. After changing, she was about climb into bed, when she noticed something.

Asuka smiled. "He _did_ leave a little chocolate mint on the pillow…"

xxxxx

As the house lay itself to rest, its inhabitants finding sanctuary in their dreams, a hidden enemy watched them from a distance.

"The attack has failed, sir," came an autonomous voice.

"Of course," the watcher said. "_She_ was with him."

"She we organize the next strike?" the voice asked.

"Do it. But do not launch the attack until I give the order. I'd like to observe his actions a little longer."

"Yes sir."

The voice disappeared, and the dark watcher continue to observe, as the night continued into darkness.

xxxxx

A/N: Okay, this is a fic that came to me unexpectedly. Usually, my fics focus around Shinji, or at least, around the male character, but this one, my point of view has shifted to Asuka for some reason. I'm not sure what's going to happen to Shinji at this point, but I do know that he's in for a world of tragedy. Just be warned, there will be some tear-jerkers later on (Or so I delude myself)

Read and Review.

I'm out.


	2. Chapter Two

**Evangelion Fan Fiction**

**Life After**

By Kraven Ergeist

Chapter Two

The sun was shining brightly the next day. Asuka was woken by the sheer brightness coming in through the windows of her small but luxurious chambers.

Asuka made her way out of bed and stretched. She pictured herself in the morning as she had once seen Misato when she woke up: disheveled, bedraggled, and over, a sloppy mess. She had let herself go over the years. She had even gained a bit of weight. Nothing to make her anything less than stunning, of course, but now, the people she accidentally ran into were in no danger of receiving paper cuts.

After spending an appropriate amount of time (Or inappropriate, depending upon who was waiting for her) in the bathroom, straightening herself up until she was satisfied, she made her way downstairs, where the aroma of baked pastries met her senses.

Shinji was already out of bed. He had on a royal blue robe, wore fuzzy slippers on his feet, was relaxing in a lacy patio chair, reading the newspaper. There was a half-eaten croissant on a plate before him, a mug of coffee sitting nearby, as well as an open laptop on the table before him.

Asuka almost laughed. _This_ was Germany's most desirable bachelor? Though, she had to admit, the image did suit him.

"Good morning," Shinji said, as he noticed her walking down the steps. "Sleep well?"

Asuka smiled. In the old days, she would have interpreted such comments as some perverted advance, but she had matured since then. "Well enough. Hope you saved me some," she indicated the pastry on his plate.

Shinji smiled, nodding. "There's plenty to go around. Naomi makes them fresh every morning."

As Asuka blinked, taking that little comment in, Naomi stepped into the breakfast area, carrying a tray of freshly made crescents.

"Delicious as always, Naomi," Shinji complimented.

"Not nearly as good as your cuisine, Master, but I appreciate the compliment," Naomi said, before noticing Asuka. "Oh, Asuka, you're awake," she said, sweetly. "Care for some croissants? They're fresh."

Asuka smiled, nodding. "Thanks. I will."

She sat herself down, and waited patiently for Naomi to place them each into the breadbasket on the table. Noticing Asuka's continued silence, Naomi took her cue to leave, though not without dropping a pleading look towards Asuka.

Asuka blinked. _What was _that_ about?_

Shinji took little heed of her departure, his attention fixated on his paper.

"Gee," Asuka commented, after she was sure that Naomi was out of earshot. "This girl waits on you hand and foot. It's almost like assisted living or something."

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, I've had issues with that. I really don't like people looking after me like this, but, well…she's really…insistent…"

Asuka blinked. "Oookay…"

Shinji just shrugged, going back to his paper.

Asuka took a bite from one of the crescents. "Wow…these really are good. Is there anything this girl can't do spectacularly?"

Shinji shrugged. "Not that I'm aware of…she takes care of the house, she keeps me up to date on everything from current events to men's fashion, she acts as my secretary, she does laundry, she cooks, she cleans…Heck, just give her a snobbish attitude, and she could give _you_ a run for your money."

Asuka's face went red, flustered. "What was that?"

Shinji chuckled. "Then again, you never were particularly good at cooking."

Asuka sat back down, a malicious grin on her face. "You're lucky I'm getting room service, else I'd teach you a lesson or two."

Shinji chuckled again. "Of that, I have little doubt."

Asuka's face went from jovial to concerned. "Shinji…you've changed so much over the years…"

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Have I?"

Asuka nodded. "You've never been able to hold a decent conversation with me before…and you never _dared_ poke fun at me before."

Shinji smiled. "That's cause I know you're not gonna hit me this time."

Asuka leered. "Don't be too sure of that."

Shinji smiled, and popped the last of his pastry in his mouth.

"But seriously," Asuka went on. "You're so much less like the Shinji I used to know…and more like…"

Shinji gulped down the last bit of croissant in his mouth. "More like who?"

Asuka looked away. "…like _him_…"

Shinji frowned. "Am I? Am I really, Asuka?"

Asuka squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. "Not to that degree, no, but…you know, just little bits, here and there…and, to be honest with you, have you looked in a mirror recently? I mean, let your beard grow out, and you'd be a spitting image."

Shinji sighed, shaking his head. "Well, what do you expect? He's my father, after all."

Asuka shook her head. "Yeah, well…I look nothing _like_ my mother, or even my father…and you don't have much of your mother in you, either."

Shinji gave her a puzzled look. "How would you know _that_?"

Asuka sighed, sitting back in her chair. "You forget Ayanami…"

Shinji blinked, taking a breath. "Rei…you know, I was so sure that I'd manage to get by today without thinking about her."

Asuka stamped her foot, impatiently. "Look, I'm sorry, okay! But I can't help it if you're a little depressed about her dying. You can't run away from it forever."

Shinji tensed up inside, a spark of anger igniting. "What do you mean, forever? I just learned about it yesterday afternoon!"

Asuka threw her arms up. "Whatever! The point it, people die! Get over it!"

Shinji glared. "Do you have any idea what she means to me? How would you feel if I started mouthing off to you about your mother, huh? How would you feel then, huh? Telling me to stop running away…you've been running your whole life!"

Asuka stood up, her chair screeching backwards. "You think you know me? You think you have any right to tell me that I've been running away?" Asuka wiped her hands on her napkin, and threw it on the table. "I _was_ gonna take today off to spend some time with you, but I think I've changed my mind. A day at the office would be heaven compared to…having to spend the day with _you_!"

Asuka stormed off, before turning around to give Shinji one last piece of her mind. "You know, Shinji? I was wrong! You haven't changed one bit! You're _nothing_ like him! At least _he_ stood for what he believed in!"

Asuka stormed out of the house in a huff, leaving Shinji to sit there with his thoughts.

After a few brief moments, he crumpled onto the table, head in his hands.

"_Baka_…" he muttered, under his breath.

Naomi made her way into the breakfast room. "Is everything all right, sir? Mrs. Soryu left without saying anything."

Shinji just sighed. "No, Naomi, everything's fine. She and I just had a fight."

Had Shinji been looking, he might have caught the brief look of relief in her eyes. "Are you sure she'll be alright, Master?"

Shinji nodded. "She'll be fine, Naomi, she can take care of herself."

Naomi bit her lip. With Asuka gone, the Master would only look at _her_ now. It was just the two of them, plus a few maids, the butler, the gardeners, and the chauffeur, who never truly entered into their lives. Rei had been the only other person in his life, but she had never truly been an obstacle, what with her blood ties. And, in her heart of hearts, Naomi had always liked that girl. She was kind, polite, and always knew what to say to the Master to cheer him up, which was never easy. She was deeply sad to hear of her imminent demise, she truly was.

But what of Asuka? She could just hold her tongue. She could simply neglect to mention that, those who had been hunting the Master would be after _her_ as well. And leaving by herself, without VERSTAND security detail, she was vulnerable. More than likely, she would be attacked by the same people that attacked them last night. Only, she wouldn't have a VERSTAND combat suit to protect her. She could let the whole thing slip, let Asuka be erased from the world. And then, the Master would belong to her from now on.

For now and forever.

She bit her lip, and turned her back, slowly leaving the room.

"I would do anything for you, sir," she muttered, under her breath. "You know that, right?"

xxxxx

Asuka stormed into town, kicking pebbles and stones as she walked.

"Shinji, you idiot…" she muttered, angrily, at the pavement underfoot. "Just had to go mess up everything, didn't you? You know, for a second there, I really thought we could have made something of it, you know? We might have actually picked up what might have started ten years ago. But, nooo, you had to go and start getting defensive! Who do you think you are? Me?"

As Asuka ranted, she wasn't paying attention to anything around her. Much less, the steadily growing crowd of "innocent bystanders," all peculiarly dressed the same way, that seemed to be rapidly accumulating.

"I mean…I was actually being _nice_ to you!" Asuka kept ranting. "But all you did was cry over your stupid wonder girl! I mean, seriously!"

That's when she ran into someone that nearly knocked her over.

"Hey, you wanna watch where you're going?" Asuka snapped, angry at being interrupted form her rant, even more peeved at having to deal with other people in her current mood.

The figure she'd run into just stood there, staring. "You are Soryu, Asuka Langley, are you not?"

Asuka glared. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

The man just nodded, placing his finger on a bug in his ear. "Proceeding with execution."

In the next instant, three things happened.

The first thing that happened was Asuka's expression changing form angry, to confused, to startled, to complete absolute terror, and finally, grudging bewilderment.

The second thing was the man she bumped into producing a silenced .99 millimeter handgun, and the pointing it at Asuka, still well hidden from any bystanders under his coat.

The third thing that happened was the man being knocked senseless, along with every other shadow nearby.

"Holy… - Mother of… How in the - What the fuck just happened!" Asuka screamed, as she reacted to the various proceedings that transpired.

Naomi appeared before her, her final blow dealt to the last hit man.

"Really, Mrs. Soryu," Naomi said, half-heartedly. "The Master holds you in such high esteem. I would have thought you of all people wouldn't have neglected your security detail."

Asuka, tense from both her argument and recent events, was not in the mood to take jabs. "What the hell do _you_ want? I left Shinji to _you_, lady – I'd have thought you'd be appreciative of that."

Naomi closed her eyes and lowered her voice. "Much as I care for the Master, I am not at liberty to make decisions regarding his life…or yours."

Asuka just glared. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Naomi sighed, turning to walk. "He asked me to help you, Asuka. He…he knew that you'd be in danger after last night, and he knew…he knew that you'd head off on your own. He…he really does care, Mrs. Soryu."

Asuka didn't respond.

"The Master is this way. Follow me if you still want to talk."

Asuka crossed her arms, intent on standing her ground. But Naomi just walked away.

Asuka was practically quaking with fury. "Oh…damn it all!"

She rushed to follow her.

xxxxx

"Now, are you going to explain to me _why_ I'm still talking to you?" Asuka demanded, sitting across form Shinji in his limo. Naomi was sitting next to him, a comfortable distance from him, but her eyes never left him, and when they did, they were on the floor.

"You could at least _pretend_ to be grateful," Shinji murmured. "But then, you never could."

Oddly, this only served to anger Asuka further.

"God damn it, Shinji, _that's_ why I left! That, right there: Every time I'm with you, somehow, you always manage to make me feel inferior!"

Shinji shrugged. "Is that supposed to be _my_ fault?"

"See? There you go again!" Asuka yammered.

"Asuka," Shinji sighed. "Has it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, you should _listen_ to what other people have to say to you? Maybe even let it _affect_ you? Just a _little_?"

Asuka just glared. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Shinji shook his head. "You've been independent from the moment I've met you – and that's a fact that's not going to change. I'm no fool. But couldn't you – for once – be satisfied with the fact that maybe some part of your life is the way it is because of someone else?"

Asuka continued glaring. Naomi sat, coolly next to him, her calm, hidden power the only thing keeping Asuka from strangling the man before her.

"_You_ are an asshole," Asuka said, about as calm and collected as possible. "And I never want to see you again."

Shinji just sighed, closing his eyes, the car coming to a halt. "Well, how convenient for you that this is your stop? VERSTAND headquarters awaits you, Asuka. Mustn't disappoint the big guys up top, now. They need their assistant VP _real_ badly."

Asuka sat and pointed a finger. "Well, at least _I'm_ not running away from all my problems!"

"No," Shinji shot back. "You're just pretending like they don't even bother you, when it's _perfectly_ clear to the rest of us what kind of affect it's having on you."

"Why…you…" Asuka fumigated. "I _hate_ you!"

"Is that all you can think of saying?" Shinji growled. "You lose out in an argument, so all you can do is yell out your opinion in hopes that it somehow justifies you?"

Asuka had just about had it. She slapped Shinji across the face, a look of fury in her eyes.

Naomi was on her feet instantly, her tiny fists balled at her sides, ready to defend her master.

But Shinji just sat her back down with his left hand, as his right clenched his jaw. "Heh…at least your swing's gotten better. It's been a while since I felt a good sting like that!"

Asuka threw her arms up, and started for the door of the limousine. "I can't win with you, can I?"

Asuka stomped out of the limo, and marched away. Shinji opened the window and stuck his head out. "One last thing, before you go."

Asuka practically grunted, as she thrust her turned her head back in his direction.

"_He_…is still alive…and he's closer to _you_ than you realize."

Asuka gave him a perplexed look, as he retreated back into the limo, and the chauffeur drove it away.

xxxxx

Dr. Maya Ibuki, now a fully fledged scientist in her mid-thirties, had been up all night long for the past week, perfecting, what she considered at least, to be her greatest brainchild: The LCL combat suit.

The premise was to harness the power of an Evangelion unit, and compact it to the nano-scopic level, fitting it into a highly modified plug suit.

Of course, it was still in the design phase. The only unit ever released was entrusted to the former Third Child, and that had been mostly out of guilt. The Third Child had known, and had objected, to his bodyguard taking it into possession, but she had been so adamant about using it.

Maya sighed. She had not been able to wheedle out all the bugs and glitches, and there was still the risk of overloading and force-feedback. Both the bodyguard and the Third Child had been aware of the risks, and yet she still wanted it. Why had she let her take it, Maya wondered. How could she possibly justify herself?

"Hello, Maya," came a voice, as she worked in her lab. The lab was semblant to the one back at NERV with Rei's testing tube, only, instead of Rei in the fluid, there were three plastic manikins with the test model plug suits on them.

Maya jerked form her work with a start. "Who's there?"

The speaker stepped into view, with a smile. "It's been a long time."

Maya gasped. "It's…it's you!"

The speaker smiled. "Yes, it's me. You've done well for yourself, Dr. Ibuki. Leading scientist at VERSTAND. Impressive."

Maya inclined her head. "Yes…um, sorry, I…haven't really seen you around."

The speaker shrugged. "I try to keep a low profile."

Maya tugged at her collar, clearly discomforted. "So…what brings you here? I take it this isn't a social call."

The speaker smiled. "You're as perceptive as the woman you trained under, Doctor. Seeing as though I'm no longer in any position to give orders, I'll simply ask as a favor: I need one of your Combat Suits."

Maya gulped, her possessiveness as a scientist instilling reluctance. "My…my suits? I can't just _give_ you one of my suits!"

The speaker nodded. "You can, and you will, Doctor. Because, if you don't…then there's a good chance that the Third Child might die."

xxxxx

As Maya stepped outside her lab, shaken and disturbed from her encounter, it was no surprise that she just about fell over from a panic attack after smacking into Asuka.

"Ahh! Oh…I'm sorry, Asuka!" she said, after regaining her composure.

"What! Who do you think you – Oh, Maya, it's you," Asuka muttered. "Sorry, I'm…not really in the mood to chat today."

Maya nodded. "Of course, I'm sure you're busy. I'll see you around."

They parted ways, before Asuka stopped and turned around. "Hey, actually, could I ask you something?"

Maya turned around and forced a smile. "Sure, what is it?"

Asuka bit her lip. "I've heard from a…a reliable source that Commander Ikari is still alive."

Maya's heart was in her throat. "Commander…Ikari?"

Asuka nodded. "Yeah. Have you heard anything about that?"

Maya gulped visibly, loosening her collar. "No, ma'am…not at all."

Asuka wrinkled her nose, but gave a shrug. "Oh well, maybe it's just a rumor. See you later."

Maya watched her leave, and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

xxxxx

No matter how deeply Asuka plunged herself into her work, she couldn't shake the emotions that plagued her. Having not seen him for ten years, only to return and find him as he was. And then…after everything looked like it might finally be ok, it just blows up.

Asuka pounded her desk, causing her secretary to jump. "Dammit! I can't _do_ this!"

She got to her feet, shoved her chair under her desk, and grabbed her coat.

"Dianna, I'm taking the rest of the day off," she hollered to her secretary, who has been giving her a puzzled look.

The young woman just nodded. "Alright, Mrs. Soryu. Should I reschedule your conference with the board?"

Asuka huffed. "Shit, that's today? Alright, fine, fine, reschedule it."

"Very good, Mrs. Soryu. Have a nice day."

"You too," Asuka breathed, as she walked out.

Half an hour later, she was at the top of a hill overlooking most of Munich, standing in front of a gravestone marked KYOKO ZEPPELIN SORYU.

"You'll never guess who I met today, mom," Asuka muttered. "You remember Shinji Ikari? That guy I worked with at NERV? Well, it turns out he's been living in the suburbs of Munich all this time. Heh…He's been less than ten minutes away, and I've been ignoring him all this time. He must really hate me."

"He doesn't hate you," came a voice. "He just worries about you. Especially when you start talking to gravestones."

It was Shinji

Asuka sighed. "You again? Haven't I put up with you long enough for one day?"

He was standing behind her and to the left. Naomi was by his side, reverent as always.

Shinji walked over to her. "Come on, Asuka…give me another chance. I sorta…blew up at you."

Asuka nodded. "Yeah, you sorta did."

Shinji frowned. "Be fair, now, you blew up at me too."

Asuka harrumphed. "Yeah, well, maybe you deserved it."

Shinji sighed. "Yeah, well…maybe you did to."

"Fine," Asuka huffed.

"Fine," Shinji retaliated.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"…"

"…"

"Fine."

"Just stop."

"Fine."

Asuka glared. "Shinji!"

Shinji fake cringed. "No, I meant it that time."

Asuka sighed. "Would you just be quiet? Seriously?"

Shinji smiled. "Only if you come back to my place for lunch."

Asuka practically gawked at him, not even annoyed anymore. "You're _enjoying_ this, aren't you?"

Shinji smiled. "More than you know."

Asuka nodded. "Alright, fine, lunch it is."

There was an awkward pause as they both turned to the grave.

"Somehow I knew I'd find you here."

Asuka couldn't help but smile. "Evidently, considering you're here. It's odd – I usually don't spend that much time. Nor do I talk to my mom's grave. Guess I'm just making up for lost time."

Shinji smiled. "Well, I'll take it as a compliment that I had that much of an affect on your daily life."

Asuka laughed. "Do you ever get tired of doing this?"

Shinji smiled. "Nope."

Asuka heaved a deep sigh; but she had to admit, she felt better. Especially now that things were better between her and Shinji.

Then, off in the distance, the sound of a VTOL rang the sky.

"Expecting company?" Asuka murmured, noticing its approach.

"No. You? You're the VERSTAND employee, after all."

Asuka shook her head. "It's not one of ours…"

Shinji cringed. "Asuka…please tell me you brought your security detail when you left VERSTAND."

Asuka looked obliviously at him. "Why would I bother with that? After your maid's little coup, I figured they wouldn't try another hit."

"This is the girl who could do quantum mechanics in her preteens?" Shinji said with a look of incredulousness.

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing! Come on, we gotta go!" Shinji was shouting now. The VTOL's overhead were definitely after them. Already, their approach was stirring up a draft. They were skimming low, as the side hatches began to open.

Naomi, the fastest of the three, had been running them at a considerable speed. But she was not fast enough to get them away from the VTOL's, as it they dropped their troops, surrounding them. The gust from the VTOL's was kicking up dust and dirt, and Naomi's cloak was fluttering in the wind.

Naomi stood before her master, though they were surrounded on all sides.

"Stay down, Master," she commanded.

"Naomi, no," Shinji said. "There's too many of them."

"I _will_ defend you, Master," Naomi said, defiantly.

"Naomi, think for a minute…if you sacrifice yourself now, what good will that do me the next time they attack? It's your presence alone that makes these attacks as infrequent as they are."

Shinji didn't truly believe what he was saying. He could honestly care less if he died right then and there. But he knew what he had to say to convince Naomi to stop pushing herself.

"You call this infrequent?" Asuka muttered. "Twice in one day?"

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure that's because they've recognized _you_, Asuka."

"Oh, that's flattering," Asuka droned, sarcastically.

"Hands up!" one of the soldiers called, once they got into range.

"Hold on, Master!" Naomi shouted, grabbing him by the back of his collar.

"Naomi!" he shouted in reaction.

She grabbed Asuka's coat too, and in a flash, lifted off the ground and into the air.

The soldier's fired at her, but she twisted herself in mid air to avoid as many of the bullets as she could. But, she couldn't avoid all of them, and since her primary objective was to protect Shinji and his friend, the bullets hit her.

"Naomi!" Shinji shouted, feeling her convulse in mid-air.

"I'm fine Master," Naomi sputtered. "It just grazed me."

"Uh…Shinji?" Asuka muttered. "We're a…long…way…up."

Shinji looked down, and realized that they were a good sixty or seventy meters in the air, they've cleared the hillside, and were descending into downtown Munich.

"Don't worry…Naomi's done this before…I think…"

Asuka was on the verge of screaming her head off by the time they approached the ground. Naomi landed in the city, and had diverted her fall by kicking off the sides of buildings as she descended. Still, she hit the ground with a hard, audible thud, sending Shinji and Asuka rolling.

Shinji was up and instantly by Naomi's side. "Naomi! Are you hurt?"

Naomi got to her feet with no amount of ease. "No sir."

Shinji's face contorted. "Liar. Now show me where you've been hit."

"Sir, the…the VTOL…" Naomi argued. "It won't take them long to circle around and find us!"

"You first," Shinji cried. "Now take off that combat suit."

Asuka had to contain an accusatory remark. She was smart enough to realize, however, that even _if_ Shinji's intentions were bad, _now_ was not the time to be pointing it out.

All thoughts of perverseness vanished in the blink of an eye, however, when Asuka saw just what she looked like underneath the battle suit.

"_Mein…Gott…_"

Running in and out of Naomi's skin, located at her wrists, neck, knees, feet, and chest, right over the heart, were tubes. Translucent tubes filled with yellow fluid. LCL. The tubes connected her skin to the suit at similar locations throughout the body. There was no blood in her system…there was only LCL!

"Shinji…tell me that this girl hasn't been like this for all this time!" Asuka demanded.

Shinji wasn't paying attention. He was focused entirely on the bullets wounds Naomi had received. She was bleeding from the shoulder, the left hip, and the right thigh. How she had managed to break their fall with all these injuries was a miracle beyond comprehension.

"Naomi…we've got to get you to a hospital!"

"I'll be fine, Master…" she said, weakly, a blush forming underneath her eyes. Underneath the suit, she was completely bare. Only the tubes that connected her to her suit lay beneath.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Shinji said, exasperated. "You need help, now!"

"Whatever we do," Asuka said. "We better do it fast! Here come the stalkers!"

Shinji looked up to confirm his worst fears. The VTOL coming, this time, the soldiers firing their weapons from the open side hatches.

Shinji threw himself on top of Naomi to protect her. Asuka, in turn, threw herself on top of Shinji. All three of them waited for the inevitable outcome.

But nothing happened.

When they looked up, all they could see was smoldering wreckage. The VTOL had crashed.

"What in the…" Shinji said, dumfounded.

That's when he saw the figure standing before the wreckage. The figure stood tall, looming silently, observing its work. The VTOL hadn't crashed…it had been knocked down. By this newcomer!

The figure turned from the wreckage and approached Shinji and the others, their steps light and even.

Shinji gasped to see the faint outlines of a plug suit. He could make out the figure now, and found that there savior was no "it," but rather a "she."

"Misato…"

xxxxx

A/N: Well, there's chapter Two. I'm really enjoying writing this, though it's making me stay up late, so the later it gets, the lazier my writing style gets, and I lose my sense for detail.

Read and Review.


	3. Chapter Three

**Evangelion Fan Fiction**

**Life After**

By Kraven Ergeist

Chapter Three

Asuka and Misato stood alongside the hospital wall. Shinji was in the medical room, staying next to Naomi. Which left Asuka and Misato to play "catch up," which was not particularly fun for either of them.

"So…long time no see," Misato muttered. She was still in her Combat Suit, complete with maroon shaded neural amplifiers. At forty years of age, she certainly wasn't showing any signs of it. She was still the same beautiful woman she'd always been. And still in top physical shape, to boot.

"I'll say," Asuka shrugged. "Ten years long…A lot can happen in that amount of time."

Misato smiled. "Has it?"

Asuka shrugged again. "You tell me. I've basically been emulated Shinji all this time, bumping around, doing nothing. You?"

Misato nodded. "I've…been busy. I'll save the details for when Shinji comes out…I have something I need to discuss with the both of you."

Asuka nodded. "What about Ayanami?"

Misato shrugged. "What about Ayanami?"

Asuka leered. "You obviously have something to discuss with us because we were Eva pilots. So why is Ayanami not included?"

Misato frowned. "You mean, you haven't heard about her?"

Asuka sighed, nodding. "If you're talking about her…imminent demise, then yes."

Misato sighed, nodding. "If it were different, she would have been included. Then again, given her condition, even before she was critically diagnosed…"

Misato wavered for a moment, her eyes closed.

"Hm?" Asuka offered.

"Oh…sorry," Misato piped. "I must really be getting old…Anyway…have you seen her yet?"

Asuka shrugged. "Yeah…well, I 'saw' her, but I never got to speak with her."

Misato nodded. "I see…"

"Do they even know _why_ it's happening? Why she's…dying?"

Misato shook her head. "Asuka…Rei's body was created artificially. You know that. She was only expected to live up until the commander's scenario was over. Beyond that…she's running on her own steam. She was never even supposed to live past the age of eighteen. How's she's lived up until this point is…something of a mystery."

Asuka frowned. "But…isn't there something we can do? Isn't t here something VERSTAND can do? I mean, they use the same technology, and it even employs a MAGI computer system. Surely, there's a way to save her."

Misato shook her head. "Come on, Asuka, who do you think we are? VERSTAND was the first place we turned to. We figured that if Rei's body was created artificially, then the least they could do was give her a new one. But they refused."

Asuka glared. "Why?"

Misato sighed. "Come on, Asuka, think. How angry do you think the world was once NERV and its exploits got out in the open? It's only been ten years – that's nowhere near long enough for most people to forgive the crimes that our organization committed. That's partly the reason why VERSTAND exists – as a pariah for all the pent up hatred for the world to vent on. That's a serious burden, and it has serious consequences.

"The major political bodies of the world, not to mention virtually every religious organization on the globe have made zealous objections to the very idea of Rei being an "Artificial Human." In fact, the official story had to be edited before being viewed by many of these affiliations. The last thing VERSTAND needs is more dealings with the "Artificial Human," not with all the crap they've been receiving, and continue to receive."

Asuka nodded. "That I can understand." As Assistant VP, and former affiliate of NERV, she knew better than anyone the amount VERSTAND stands accountable for. "But, wait a minute…you don't work for VERSTAND, yet you talk as if you were directly involved with her affairs. You also talk as if you knew this was going to happen for some time."

Misato nodded. "Yes…"

Asuka turned to glance at her. "Just how 'busy' have you been these past ten years, Misato?"

Misato smiled. "Busy. I promise I'll tell you more when Shinji and I get a chance to talk."

xxxxx

"I'm…I'm glad to see you again, Misato," Shinji said, after a long embrace with his former guardian.

Misato smiled. "You too, Shinji…my gosh, look at you. You've really grown up."

Shinji blushed. Actually blushed. That was the first time Asuka had seen him blush since their reunion.

Asuka frowned, hiding a small bit of disgust. Shinji used to be the sort of person that would blush and cringe after anyone said almost anything to him – it had been particularly fun for Asuka, as it gave her a sense of power over him. Since meeting back up with him, she's been silently hoping to see him blush again for her, only to be met with dismay.

Yet here he was, talking with Misato, the only person who could ever really get a rise out of him.

_Am I…jealous?_ Asuka demanded. _Oh, come on! As if it wasn't bad enough with Kaji, but Shinji too?_

Asuka pushed those thoughts from her head. Kaji had been an issue that she'd thought long and hard on over the years, only to reluctantly come to the realization that she had, in fact, had zero chance with him. Not only was Kaji too old for her, not only was he only focused on Misato, but Kaji had already been so close to Asuka, but in a different way – like, a fatherly type of way. And Kaji was a good person, too good of a person to ruin that kind of bond by allowing her to indulge in childish fantasies.

Asuka shook her head, clearing her mind. But it didn't change the fact that she still felt jealous of Misato. But then again, same dilemma that she had with Kaji now worked against Misato here; Misato was already so close to Shinji, but also in a different way – like, a motherly type of way. And Shinji was a good person too, too good to ruin that kinda of bond by allowing her indulge in any kind of fantasies she'd had over him when she was the adult and him the child.

And then, there was the matter of this Naomi…

"How is she?" Misato asked. "You bodyguard, I mean. Naomi, was it?"

"She's recovering," Shinji said, sadly. "But it will be a few days before she can leave the hospital."

"No need to worry, Shinji," Misato smiled. "I've still got my Combat Suit. I'll keep you safe."

Shinji smiled. "Thanks, Misato…but still…Naomi…won't be there…"

Misato patted him on the shoulder. "Sounds like you two are really close."

Asuka nodded. "If only you knew…" Asuka started when something occurred to her. "Hey, Misato…your combat suit…you're not…wired…like Naomi is, are you?"

Misato glanced at Shinji. "What?"

Shinji swallowed a pang of guilt. "No…Misato's suit is a newer model… Misato…Naomi's suit…is fully integrated with her body. They had to replace her blood with LCL, and fully bond her to the suit."

Misato's eyes lit up in something very close to outrage. "And you _allowed_ her to _do_ that?"

"No, Misato!" Shinji stammered. "I begged her on bended knees _not_ to. But she wouldn't hear it. As soon as she learned about the combats suits, she had to have one. It was strange…she seemed more and more interested after I mentioned that it was the same technology that the Eva's were made with."

Asuka and Misato exchanged a look.

"See what I mean?" Asuka whispered. "She's _obsessed_ with him!"

Misato just nodded, her eyes still wide with surprise.

"Well, anyway, now that the newer brand is out, Naomi can just use one of them, right? She won't have to become integrated with the suit anymore, won't she?"

Shinji swallowed another pang of guilt. "That's the tragic part, Asuka…it was sort of a one way thing."

Asuka had to hold back the urge to slap him.

"Even if she were willing to disintegrate herself from the suit, which she isn't – I asked her to when I went in there; but she was perfectly clear: the suit stayed – even if we could get it off of her fully, her body would remain completely altered. Her blood isn't even blood anymore. She's become…so much like Rei.

"During the first month or so…she went through some pretty violent changes. But she's gotten used to it…and the suit has become such an integral part of her life, that…I don't know, trying to get her to let it go would probably be more dangerous than leaving it on."

Both Misato and Asuka were staring at Shinji with a varied mix of disgust and horror.

"Shinji…for her to continue doing this, willingly, if what you say is true…then she's more than just dedicated…she's bordering on obsessive compulsive."

Shinji blinked. "What are you saying? She's obsessed over…me?"

Asuka whacked her forehead with the heel f her palm. "_Mein Gott…_You give a guy ten years to change, and he's still clueless!"

Misato took Shinji by the shoulder. "Shinji…this is a serious matter. She can't be allowed to continue this. Not with the entire world breathing down VERSTAND's neck. If anyone ever found about this… And that's not even considering the affects this is going to have later on life."

Shinji's look was fearful. "What do you mean?"

Misato squeezed her grip harder. "What do you think I mean? Think, Shinji, think! You said it yourself: She's becoming like Rei…tell me you're aware that Rei's blood is LCL as well?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, I…I didn't know for sure, but I did susp… Oh…my…God…"

Misato nodded, finally allowing some sympathy to shine through. "Rei might not be the only loss you'll be having, Shinji."

Shinji broke down, clutching Misato blindly, crying into her chest. "It's too late…it's already too late…the affects have already taken place…there's…there's nothing we can do, is there?"

Misato stroked Shinji's hair. "I'm sorry…"

That's when the sound of breaking glass got the attention of all three of them.

"What was that?" Asuka demanded.

"It came from Naomi's room!" Misato shouted.

Instantly, the three of them rushed into her room, only to find the windows shattered.

"Naomi!" Shinji shouted, running to the window. He peered outside, desperately trying to find her. "Naomi!"

"Shinji…" Misato said. "In the amount of time she had, she could have left Munich by now. That suit gives you unparalleled speed. Believe me, I've experienced it."

Shinji slammed his fist on the windowsill, bloodying them on the glass shards still there. "Damn it! Damn it all! Why! Why did she have to leave like that?"

"Shinji…" Asuka said, holding a folded piece of paper.

Shinji grabbed the paper, and read the one word written on the side:

_Master_

Shinji flipped it open, and read:

_Dear Master Ikari,_

_I'm sorry for not being able to protect you. I'm sorry for all those years; I could have been stronger, could have served you better. But I promise you that I'll try to make it up. And I'm going to start by finding out who has been making these attacks on you, and putting a stop to them for good._

_I hope that Mrs. Soryu and Mrs. Katsuragi will be able to protect you in my stead. I shall try my hardest not to be gone for very long._

_Please, wait for me._

_Your loyal protector and faithful servant,_

_Naomi Aoba_

Shinji clutched the paper to her chest after he finished it. "Naomi…you idiot…"

Misato placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me guess: she's gone off to try and put an end to these attacks you've been receiving?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, she…how did…how did you know about those?"

Misato sighed. She paced over to the door and shut it tight, locking it. "I've been paying a lot more attention to you in particular these past ten years. I already mentioned to Asuka about my being involved with Rei's transfer. In all honesty, my involvement went a lot deeper than that. You see…VERSTAND wasn't the only group established when NERV went under."

Asuka and Shinji both stared hard at her.

"Misato?" Asuka said, holding back a frustrated growl. "What exactly is going on?"

Misato sighed. "This hidden group is called ZELLE, and it's a secret organization that the Japanese Government, the German Government, and the UN have no knowledge of."

"How can that be possible?" Asuka demanded.

Misato smiled. "Because it's directly funded by SEELE."

Shinji and Asuka exchanged nervous glances. They'd both heard about SEELE, but mentioning it had been a taboo, both in Germany and in Japan.

"After NERV broke apart, SEELE's main concern was hiding as much of the evidence as possible. If they'd had their way, none of you would be alive right now. I had actually managed to infiltrate ZELLE, and sabotage much of their attempted assassinations. I had also managed to see Rei safely into the hands of VERSTAND. Maya, Hyuga, and Shigeru are all alive thanks to me, just for the record.

"For the longest time, their main target was you, Shinji. Rei was under too much surveillance, what with her being in a VERSTAND controlled hospital. Asuka, for the longest time, remained hidden from ZELLE's tracers somehow. Finally, you emerged, but it had been directly in the throes of VERSTAND. So, for the most part, they've only been going after you, Shinji."

Shinji nodded. "But now?"

Misato sighed. "But now…there's always a 'but now'…but now, we've been found out. I wasn't alone in this infiltration, but I was one of the few who got out. After I did, for a time, I had lost any hope of affecting the system anymore…until _he_ came to me…"

Shinji nodded. "My father."

Misato blinked. "You knew?"

Shinji smiled. "Back when the initial attacks came…I always got a call beforehand with a scrambled voice telling me I was in danger. They wouldn't say who they were, but after a while, I started to realize who it had to be."

Misato smiled. "Well, you're right on the money, Shinji. And it turns out we were both happily mistaken about him in the past. Your father does care about you, Shinji. Enough to foot the entire budget of a new organization under VERSTAND called KERN. This group is also entirely hidden from the UN et al, but with a slightly different agenda then that of ZELLE: namely, to protect the veterans of NERV, and to extinguish ZELLE and hopefully deal a severe blow to SEELE. And that's where _you two_ come in."

Shinji and Asuka pricked up.

"I've made arrangements with VERSTAND. You two are both to be outfitted with the current production model Combat Suits, and assist me in KERN's objective."

Asuka's jaw dropped. "What? You mean to tell me that you want to drag us into battle _again_?"

Misato nodded. "Yes, Asuka. You two are the most experienced fighters we have. These plug suits work just like the Eva's, and they do, in fact, require that the wearer synchronize with them. It was made much easier during the development stage, so that people like me and Naomi can use them…but when the original pilots use them, and their sync rates climb to those heights…the suits would be unstoppable."

As Asuka considered, Shinji just then began to notice the blood on his hands from striking the broken glass.

"You want me…to fight?" Shinji said.

"Oh, Shinji…here…" Misato went to get a bandage, and proceeded to wash Shinji's hands clean, making sure there were no glass shards still inside.

"You want me…inside that thing?"

Misato began to wrap his right hand. "Don't be that way. You're an experienced pilot, Shinji. You, of all people, would have what it takes to use these things effectively. I've got years of training on my side, and Asuka has her training…but you were always the best pilot, Shinji."

Shinji shook his head. "It's not that I was the best pilot…but that Unit-01 was the best Eva. This Combat Suit…doesn't have my mother's soul inside of it, protecting me. If I get knocked out, this suit isn't going to go into a berserker rage and save me in the nick of time. I'm just gonna be dead. That'll be it."

"Shinji…" Misato muttered, tying off the bandage and starting on his left hand.

"No, Misato…you know perfectly well, I was never meant for combat. Even when I did pilot, I was always the one lagging behind, firing my itty little rifle, while Asuka was up front, doing the real work."

Misato paused to touch his shoulder. "Shinji…Naomi is going to be going after ZELLE…you realize that, don't you?"

Shinji breathed in hard.

"Don't you…don't you want to protect her?" Misato said. "Don't you think, after everything she's sacrificed for you, that she deserves to be saved?"

Shinji yanked his hand away from her, recoiling from her completely. "You know, my father used that exact same trick on once before. He did it using Rei as the bait. Is that what he asked you to do here? Did he tell you to guilt me into this, too? I bet he even arranged for Naomi to be abducted, making it only _look_ like she left on her own…just to use me again…"

Misato glared at him. "Shinji…how long is it going to take for you to get over yourself? If it weren't for your father, none of us would even be _alive_ right now. You owe him a lot more than you give him credit for. He's doing this for your sake – for _all_ our sakes. The least you could do is be a little cooperative!"

Shinji crumpled under her bantering, and, for an instant, reverted back into the old Shinji, the one who would cry if you so much as asked him to.

"It…it hurts, Misato…" Shinji sobbed, clutching her heedlessly. "It hurts so much…why did Naomi have to run away? Why does she have to be dying? Why does _Rei_ have to be dying? Why do I have to rely on my father again? Why does _anything_ in this world have to be the way it is?"

Misato clutched the man who used to be her charge close to her. "Because it just is, Shinji…all we can do it try to affect it as best as we can, and hope that we can make a difference."

All this time, Asuka had been watching as he unfolded before her eyes…and into Misato's arms. As sympathetic as she was for the boy – and she _was_, honestly – she couldn't fight back her jealously that he could pour his heart out to Misato and not her.

Of course, it made the most sense. Misato had been the closest thing Shinji had ever had to a mother. Why wouldn't he act this way around her?

The tearful moment was interrupted, however, by Misato's cell phone ringing. Reluctantly, she broke off Shinji's grip, and answered it.

"Hello?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Misato hung up the phone.

"It's Rei."

xxxxx

Lying back in her bed, her face bony and skeletal. An IV, heart monitors, and about a dozen other bells and whistles were attached to her by some method or another.

"Hi, Rei," Shinji said, standing over her, his smile concealing what he truly felt.

The pale girl barely managed to open her eyes. "H…hello, Ikari…"

Shinji almost lost it right there. As close as they had become, she still referred to him as Ikari. She was the only person he knew that called him that. Other people called him Mr. Ikari, or Shinji, but never just Ikari. That had been the title she had used for him since they were kids.

"How are you feeling?" Shinji asked, holding back his tears.

"Tired," Rei said, matter of factly.

Behind Shinji, Misato and Asuka stood, diligently. Misato's head was lowered, but Asuka couldn't take her eyes off the girl. _This_ had been the girl she'd been jealous of as a pilot? This was the girl who knew everything, could do anything, and revealed nothing?

"Is…is that Major Katsuragi? And Pilot Soryu? It has been quite a while." Rei said, still referring to them by the last title she remembered. She wasn't just being nostalgic this time; she was flat-out losing her grip on any reference of time.

"Yes, Rei," Misato said, stepping up to kneel next to where Shinji stood. "I know we didn't know each other all that well…but you were still just as valuable…to me and the rest of us. So, I hope you can believe me when I say…that I'm happy to see you again."

Asuka walked over and stood next to Misato, opposite of Shinji. "…Hey, Wonder girl."

"Soryu…"

Asuka forced a smile. "Look…I know we weren't on the nicest of terms…and I know that I treated you like…well, a lot worse than you deserved to be treated…but I want you to know something…" Asuka shivered. "That whole ordeal with the Evas and the Angels…If I had to do it all over again…I couldn't have asked for a finer comrade…or a better person…"

Rei smiled. Actually smiled. That was something she never did, especially to Asuka.

"Thank you…Soryu…"

Both Misato and Asuka got up and backed away, leaving Shinji alone with her.

He dropped to his knees.

"Anyway…you're probably real tired, right? We won't keep you from sleeping. We'll just stay here with you, Rei…just to be here with you…"

Rei nodded. "Yes… Ikari…will stay with me…"

"I'm gonna be right here, Rei, you hear me?" Shinji said, tears welling up. "Don't worry. We'll be right here…"

"Ikari…will be right here," Rei muttered.

"We'll come and visit you tomorrow, too…" Shinji said. "You'll feel better then, Rei. You'll feel better…"

Rei had to struggle to get her arm out from under the blanket. Her arm was thin, frail and bony. She reached up to take Shinji's face in her hand.

"When I wake up tomorrow…" Rei said in a tiny voice. "Ikari will be here…waiting…"

Shinji took her hand in his. "Yes, Rei…this is where I'll be…right here…"

Rei sighed, looking away. "Right here…"

Shinji nodded, tears falling from his eyes. "That's right, Rei…I'll be right here…"

The tiny bit of strength left her arm, as it fell limp on the bed.

Rei's eyes closed, a look of satisfaction on her face.

With tears filling his eyes, Shinji collapsed onto her lifeless form. "…Right here waiting…"

xxxxx

A/N: Alright, I may have claimed, in an immature attempt to bolster my ego, to have written angst fics before this, but this takes the cake for me. This was the first fic I've written where one of the main characters really dies in someone's arms like this.

Hope this turns out to be what I'm hoping for it to be.

I'm out.


	4. Chapter Four

**Evangelion Fan Fiction**

**Life After**

By Kraven Ergeist

Chapter Four

Things never really got better after that.

The day was darker than it had ever been, and no one could think of anything to change this. Asuka and Misato left Shinji alone for a while, and were once again one their own with each other.

"It's really disquieting…to know that she's just…gone…" Asuka murmured.

"It's awful," Misato said, wiping tears from red eyes. "I know I've seen a lot of death these past years…but for some reason, I can't stop crying for her."

Asuka didn't say anything. She didn't cry. She didn't feel like crying. She didn't even feel sad. Deep down inside, she knew that what had just happened was a bad thing, but for some reason, she didn't feel sadness.

"Am I really…such a terrible person?" Asuka muttered to herself.

"Huh?" Misato murmured.

Asuka was silent. Why wasn't she sad? Why could she not make herself cry, even just so she could _look_ sad? Did she really detest Rei that much? No…she wasn't friendly with her, but she hadn't hated her, did she? She was just this pest to her…just a nuisance. And just because a stray cat in the street bothers you, gets in your way, and trips you, it doesn't mean you don't feel sad when you see it get hit by the 4-by-4 afterwards.

So why was she not sad?

"About what I said, earlier…" Misato said, changing the subject. "I still need your help. Shinji may need some time…do you?"

Asuka looked up. "Do I what?"

"Need time to decide?"

Asuka bit her lip. Could someone like herself be trusted in combat? Could she still fight the way she used to think she could? Could her comrades trust her to make the right decisions? After all, who could possibly trust someone heartless enough not to cry when a girl they'd known for ten years died before them?

Asuka sniggered. She felt like Mersault from "The Stranger." Though she didn't consider herself an existentialist, she felt now that she could face the thought of every single person in her life dying, and not care. At least, not until it mattered.

Satisfied that if she were to have any tears it would be later, Asuka shook her head. "No, I don't need any time…I'll do it."

xxxxx

"I've worked out just about all the kinks from these things, so they should be field ready," Dr. Maya Ibuki said.

Asuka and Shinji were trying on their new and improved plug suits. Asuka's was the same red as before, with the same red neural transmitter in her hair. There was some thick armor added to the back, shoulders, calves and waist, but overall, it was the same one she wore ten years ago.

Shinji's was a little different. The same white and blue were there, with nostalgic blue neural emitters. But that's where the similarities ended. The entire suit was armor plated, even more so than Asuka's, with shoulder spikes similar to the Eva's. It even had a helmet that could slide over it, which had the familiar sheen of Unit 01, horn included.

He found that he couldn't move as quickly, though, when at his top speed, Maya assured him that he could outrun a triathlon champion. But she explained that it was built that way for a reason.

"After studying your style of combat, I developed the Type B suit, which is more based on long range offensive and close range defensive. It was designed to fight alongside the Type A that Asuka and Misato have. While their suits are designed for rapid, single attack melee, your suit is heavily armored, can repel almost any type of attack save for an S2 mine, and is designed to take on multiple enemies at once. But the exchange is you can't move as fast. The idea is that you launch a barrage of attacks at a large oncoming group of enemies in the distance, and when the enemies get too close, Asuka and Misato pick them off, while you act as their shield."

Shinji cringed. "I don't know if I like that idea."

Maya giggled. "Trust me, you'll be the safest."

Shinji shook his head. "I don't want to be the safest…I want Asuka and Misato to be the safest."

Maya smiled. "Well, you're the best equipped to make that happen, Shinji. If either of them gets into any real danger, it'll be up to _you_ to save them."

"Why is that not comforting?"

Maya sighed. "Relax, Shinji. Just make sure you bring your munitions pack with you, and you'll be fine."

Shinji went to go get said munitions pack – which contained over a hundred lives rounds of machine gun artillery, numerous projectile detonators, dozens of impact grenades, a rocket launcher and a rifle with an additional sniper scope.

Asuka and Misato, contradictorily, were armed chiefly with melee weapons, mini-prog-knives, throwing knives, and a short sword, with a single energy shot pistol at the hip. To balance, Shinji was also armed with two mini-prog-knives in his shoulder blades.

As Shinji went to collect his yield, Maya leaned over to Misato.

"Wow…he's gotten _really_ cute."

Misato smiled. "I know…it's everything I can do not to jump him sometimes. But he's really been through a lot, and that kind of attention will only make things worse."

Asuka just sneered. "Honestly, you two…"

Shinji turned around, looking like a miniature blue Unit 01. "Come on, you two…the longer we wait, the more danger Naomi's gonna be in. Dr. Ibuki, thank you again for your help."

Maya nodded, blushing. "It's my pleasure, Shinji…I only wish I could do more."

Misato stepped up to Asuka and the walking tank – Shinji – and nodded. "Okay, you two…the VTOL's ready. They've located one of ZELLE's primary outposts. It's in Japan…ironically, it's located within the urban graveyard of Tokyo-3."

Shinji and Asuka both cringed.

Misato nodded. "I know…this is gonna bring back some memories…some that we might just as well forget. But we've got a job to do. Are you ready?"

Shinji and Asuka both nodded.

Misato smiled. "Then let's go."

xxxxx

Tokyo-3 was never restored after 3rd Impact failed in 2015. Ten years later, it was still basically a giant crater. Scattered about were remains of buildings and establishments. The true threat, however, lay beneath the ruin, underneath the original Geo-Front. The bedrock of NERV.

"This place makes my skin crawl," Shinji observed, as they passed over the crater in the VERSTAND VTOL.

"I can't say I'm particularly thrilled with this either, Shinji," Asuka labored. "But don't forget…we're going in there because for your little maid, you know."

Misato glared. "You're mistaken, Asuka. This is an established mission directive from KERN."

Asuka just glared back; the first show of any kind of hostility towards Misato in ten years.

"Don't get me wrong, Misato – I don't give a damn about your little organization. I'm in this for Shinji's sake, and that's all there is to it."

Shinji smiled and Misato just frowned. "Well…you ought to give a damn…it exists primarily for your benefit."

Asuka snuffed. "Yeah, yeah, so does every other schlock organization ever established supposedly, but that doesn't mean I _actually_ benefit from them."

Misato let it drop, realizing she wasn't getting anywhere. "We're going to land in what's left of the Geo-Front. It's ruinous, cavernous, and structurally and geologically unstable. It'll be dangerous enough, even without any human opposition, so be ready."

Shinji blinked. "What do you mean by 'geologically unstable?'"

Misato smiled, ironically. "It means that the Geo-Front is basically a big hole in the ground, and it just so happens to exist on the notorious Ring of Fire around the Pacific Rim. You've lived in Japan long enough to realize that earthquakes and volcanoes are not a rarity."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Great. So not only do we have to worry about ZELLE soldier's trying to kill us, but we have to worry about earthquakes and volcanoes too?"

Misato smiled. "Look at it this way: if either of those situations were to occur, it would end this mission _real_ quickly."

Shinji cringed. He remembered, quite suddenly, why he had never been too fond of Misato's sense of humor.

The VTOL hovered about half a kilometer above the city, when Misato left her seat and threw open the door.

"Misato!" Asuka hollered. "What are you _doing_?"

"This is where we get off!" Misato yelled above the roar of the air outside. "If we descend any lower, they'll spot us. We're trying to be as covert as possible here."

Asuka and Shinji gave no end of complaints as Misato shoved them out the door (Actually, "dragged" would be a better word, particularly in Shinji's case) and descended smoothly down to the crater.

Misato expertly maneuvered through the air and snagged Asuka in mind-air and placed her on her back, and grabbed Shinji by the shoulders. When they were about a hundred meters above the ground, Misato pressed a switch on the back of Shinji's suit that activated the compressed air jets that slowed their fall to a minimum. Once they reached solid ground, they were hovering safely over the ground, before dropping.

"Next time," Asuka muttered. "You could at least tell us _before_ shoving us outside a helicopter a thousand meters above the ground!"

Misato winced. "Sorry." Looking at Shinji, she nodded. "Ditch the flight pack. We won't be needing it."

Shinji ejected the backpack that contained the air jets.

"From here on out, we're on foot," Misato said, militantly. "I want you all to follow me. This may get bumpy."

For the next hour and a half, the three of them trekked, climbed, hiked, and rappelled their way into the depths of the husk of the Geo-Front. Three times, the girls had to climb onto Shinji's back as he climbed down the steep rocky face. His suit, though slow, also provided him with immense power, down to Hulk-sized hands, which gave him a granite grip that clung to ledges better than an expert rock climber.

Along their way, they ran across a few stray articles left over from NERV; pieces of hallway, desks, chairs, uniforms, chunks of Bakelite, and heaps and heaps of twisted metal. Then they found something that truly disturbed them.

"Oh…my…god…" Shinji whispered.

The other two could only agree as they all stared at what they saw:

Heads.

They were heads from the test models of Unit 00. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of them, yellow, with spinal columns trailing downwards, with nerves leading to the occasional pair of hands here and there. But mostly, just the sheer number of heads…

"It's like…a cemetery…" Shinji cringed.

"More like a massacre site," Asuka furled her lip. "What's truly disturbing is that these things were here _before_ it all went down…back when the people at NERV were the _good _guys."

Misato bit her lip. "It's something that I never wanted you to see…I guess you're older now, but it's still something that no one should have to witness in their lifetime."

"Let's get out of here," Shinji urged. "This place is making me sick."

The idea was warmly reciprocated.

Unfortunately, in order to push onward, they had to go _through_ the trench of heads.

"Tell me again why I let you talk me into this Misato," Asuka droned.

They had passed the heads, but were still nowhere near to anything someone might have called hospitable, when Shinji called the party to a standstill.

"Stop!" he called, halting everyone in their tracks.

"What?" Asuka demanded.

"What is it, Shinji?" Misato asked.

Shinji sniffed the air, making sure to confirm what he had discovered, before returning his gaze to the others.

"It smells like Ayanami."

That's when all hell broke loose.

xxxxx

"Sir, we have an intruder," one of the many officers of ZELLE below ground said to their commanding officer.

"On screen," the commanding officer ordered.

A screen popped up, displaying Shinji, Asuka and Misato all fighting off ZELLE soldiers.

The commander's mouth curved into a grin. "He's here…"

xxxxx

"We have to move!" Misato commanded to the other two, as they dispatched with the remaining enemies.

"So much for a covert approach," Asuka mumbled, as they followed Misato deeper into the catacombs of NERV. The caverns were becoming less cavernous and more and more into structured establishments. As if someone had entered years prior and refurbished most of NERV.

"Something's not right, here," Shinji muttered, as they ran. "Something just doesn't feel right…"

They came before an entryway that led unquestionably into an underground facility. Shinji burst through the door effortlessly. Behind the door, they encountered more shock troops, which Misato and Asuka quickly overwhelmed before they could react.

"Quick!" Misato commanded, as she took off again.

Misato halted before their path crossed with another. She snuck a glance around the corner, and saw a line of oncoming guards. She threw a look at Shinji, who nodded. Removing two pistols from his holsters, he sidestepped out in front of the hall, launching a barrage of gunfire towards the ZELLE soldiers. They returned fire, and he quickly rolled back behind cover.

"There's too many of them," he announced, holstering his guns.

"So what do we do?" Asuka demanded.

"We improvise," Misato said. "Shinji, Maya said you had a missile launcher?"

Moments later, Misato cart wheeled out from behind the corner, and launched an impact grenade at the soldiers, leaving a deafening boom in her wake.

"Now! Move!" She hissed.

The three of them went on.

Before long, they stopped outside a door with the simple titles of "Biological Research Facility."

"This doesn't look good," Misato said.

But Shinji pushed ahead. "There's something back there. Something behind this door. I can feel it."

Misato placed a hand on his, as he gripped the door handle. "Shinji, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Shinji shook his head. "I haven't known what I was doing since my father asked me to pilot Eva once upon a time. All I've been doing is hoping for the best."

Misato nodded. "Then let's go.

They entered, and their world fell apart.

"Maya?"

Doctor Ibuki, standing in front of an LCL tube, just gasped. "Oh my God! It's you! No, no, no, no, no, you can't be here! Oh, you just can't be here! Oh, this is not good! He'll kill me for sure!"

Misato grabbed the doctor by the shoulders. "Maya, what is the meaning of this? Why are _you_ working for Zelle?"

Maya was on the verge of tears. "He promised, Mrs. Katsuragi! He promised me he'd bring her back!"

"Who?" Misato demanded. "Bring back who?"

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…" she just rambled on, terror stricken in her voice.

"Oh my God…" Shinji repeated.

Misato turned to look at what he saw, and dropped the Doctor on the floor.

"What in God's name…"

"NAOMI!"

Floating in the vat of LCL was the young Ikari's bodyguard, prone, still, and oblivious.

Shinji ran to Maya, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What is she doing in there? What have you done with her?"

Maya just cried. "I didn't want to! I thought it was a horrible thing to do. But he was so forceful…"

Shinji left he doctor where she was and ran over the vat, punching through the glass. LCL spilled everywhere, and Naomi drifted into Shinji's arms.

"NAOMI!" he screamed. Setting her on the ground, he felt for a pulse. "She's still alive! Naomi! Say something!"

The bodyguard's eyes slowly drifted open. "…M…Master…is…is that…you…?"

Shinji held her in his arms. "Yes, Naomi, it's me."

Naomi's eyes focused on him. "I'm…I'm so…sorry…"

Shinji wiped tears from his eyes. "_Baka!_ Why did you come here? Why did you have to do things by yourself? Why did you have to be so brave?"

Naomi's breath caught in her throat. "Be…be…cause…" she coughed, loudly.

"Naomi, hang on!"

"Because…" Naomi stuttered. "I…love…"

Her eyes faded to black.

"NAOMI!"

Misato and Asuka just watched in horror.

"No…" Asuka breathed, more for Shinji's sake than for Naomi. Misato placed her arm around her, and held Asuka's prone form close to her.

"You gave everything for me…" Shinji cried, clutching her dead form. "You were always there for me… You were…you were…"

"A failed experiment."

Shinji, Misato, Asuka and Maya all turned to see the owner of the voice.

"F…father…?"

Gendo Ikari stood facing them all, a look of quiet dissatisfaction in his face. "She would have died anyway. There was nothing you could have done."

"Commander!" Misato yelled. "What's going on here?"

Gendo sighed. "Really, Mrs. Katsuragi…I would have thought you would have been able to pick it up. The leader of the foundation you work for…is none other than the founder of ZELLE."

Misato gasped. "No…than…you…"

Asuka broke from Misato's grasp. "All those attacks against Shinji and me…they were _your_ doing?"

Gendo nodded.

"Why? Auska demanded.

"It was necessary to test the stability of the new plug suits. It was part of my agreement with SEELE. They want the suits in prime condition when they're put to use."

"Put to use? What for?" Misato demanded.

"Whatever it is that SEELE might want," Gendo shrugged. "To be honest, I don't really care. Oh, don't worry, you were never in any real harm during these tests. I was confident that the suits would be your salvation. And they were. Aside from one failed incident with the Aoba girl –"

"YOU MONSTER!" Shinji suddenly shouted, charging the man he once knew as father.

He got no more than five steps before Gendo pressed a button on the suit's dead man switch in his pocket. Shinji's suit froze, his momentum carrying forward enough to land flat on his face.

"Don't behave so rashly, Shinji," Gendo smiled. "That goes for the rest of you too. Now come…there's someone here you will want to meet."

Gendo pressed another switch, and Shinji's suit reactivated. Enraged and betrayed, it took all of Shinji's effort not to make another attempt. Instead, he followed his father as he continued on through the lab, Asuka, Misato, and Maya following behind.

"How are things coming, Professor?" Gendo asked into the darkness.

"Everything is in order, Sir. The procedure is nearly ready."

All heads turned to see who spoke.

Misato gasped. "R-Ritsuko?"

"Sempai!" Doctor Ibuki wailed, running up to her.

Ritsuko was wearing another combat suit, this one a deep shade of green.

"C-Commander? What in heaven's name is going on here? Ritsuko is _dead_!"

The Commander nodded. "Indeed. And she still is."

"Then what the hell is _this_?"

"Her body," Gendo said. "When she died, the last remnant of her soul was preserved in the LCL that surrounded Lillith. Our scientists were able to harbor some of it and infuse it into this special combat suit."

"So, what, you just…_revived_ her?"

"Close enough," the Commander smiled. "It would seem to be an accurate enough replica for our resident VERSTAND insider."

Misato watched in awe, as Maya held her long lost friend in a sick semblance of love.

"Maya, wake up!" Misato screamed. "That's not Ritsuko! Ritsuko is dead, Maya! Accept it!"

Maya held her even closer, giving back a look of contempt. "You're lying! Sempai is right here!" she buried her face in Ritsuko arms. "You'll never leave me again, will you Sempai?"

Ritsuko pet the girl's head. "Never, Maya."

Misato spat in disgust. "So is _this_ what you wanted us to see? This sick puppet show?"

Gendo smiled. "No…_this_ is."

That's when the lights turned on.

The first thing that came into view was something that shocked everyone beyond comparison.

"It's…Unit-01!" Shinji gasped.

"It…it can't be…"

Crucified upon the same red cross that bore Lillith, Eva Unit-01 lay with its arms open, its skin around its stomach peeled back, revealing its core, surrounded by a mess of bloody ribs.

"How…what is…what are you _doing_ with my Eva?" Shinji screamed.

That's when Shinji noticed something else.

Or rather, some_one_ else.

Standing at the foot of Unit 01, staring up at the Eva in wonder, was a lone figure in a familiar white plug suit.

"No…" Shinji gasped, his knees giving out from underneath him. "You kill Naomi…you kill Ayanami…you bring back Ritsuko…and now…"

"Oh my God…" Misato gasped in disbelief.

"You can't be serious!" Asuka gawked.

Standing below Unit-01 was Ayanami.

xxxxx

A/N: Well, this will either be clever or predictable, depending on your take. Hopefully, it will be the former.

Things will continue to get more unbelievable later on. But for those of you who have still kept reading up until now, thanks for your loyalty. It really means a lot to me.

I'm still enjoying this. I like drawing out the character interactions, but I'm afraid it's detaching from the story. What's important to me is the actions and the drama the actions inflect.

Anyway, keep reading.

I'm out.


	5. Chapter Five

**Evangelion Fan Fiction**

**Life After**

By Kraven Ergeist

Chapter Five

Ayanami stood, prone, still, and unmoving. She was wearing yet another combat suit, a strange divergent from her previous white suit. She was standing before a pool of reddish LCL – highly concentrated, bearing the semblance of blood in addition to its scent – the lifeblood of Unit-01, pooling from the tip of the Lance of Longinus that lay embedded in its core.

Shinji's eyes were red from tears and his entire body was shaking. His was on his hands and knees, gasping in disbelief at what he saw.

_No…_ he thought. _Rei is dead…I _saw_ it happen! I _felt_ it happen…_

His hatred for his father – for what he has done to Rei…to Naomi…to himself and everyone he's known – grew like a boiling inferno of rage.

"YOU MONSTER!" he screamed, flinging himself at the commander. He knew that his father held the kill switch in his hand, and that he would just shut down the suit he wore. But he couldn't stand it anymore. He wasn't going to sit by and watch this demon hurt his friends any longer.

To Shinji's surprise, the Commander didn't press the kill switch. Instead, he allowed Shinji to throw the most powerful punch he could – and caught his fist with a single hand.

It was only then that Shinji recognized the black combat suit under his uniform.

"Humanity is entering into a new age, Shinji…" Gendo said, calmly. "These suits can keep us alive long after death. Human beings are about to be become a race of immortals."

Shinji just stared at him in disbelief.

"Don't you find it staggering?" Gendo laughed. "To be equipped with something that will preserve you forever? Even when the body dies, the suit will keep your mind in direct control over your bodily functions. Ideally…one who wears an LCL Combat Suit can live forever."

"That's insane!" Misato shouted from behind. "The population would double overnight!"

"Only a select few will be permitted to wear these suits – a few million, perhaps – and the rest shall be destroyed," Dr. Ibuki explained. The container of Ritsuko, preserved by her plug suit, had her arms placed over her shoulders. "Human reproduction will be stifled – used only to replace those lost because of accidents or irregularities that might result in death – and the human race will benefit from the incalculable wisdom available only to the immortal."

"And what about the rest of the human race?" Asuka demanded. "You're just gonna wipe them out?"

"They are a necessary loss," Maya smiled.

"Maya, you've gone mad!" Misato exclaimed.

"You shut up!" Dr. Ibuki yelled. "I don't want to here you spout of moral garbage! I used to believe in the principles that you do – and it got me nowhere! The only way for me to be free of my pain is to do this."

Misato glared. "You can't be serious!"

"What if it were _Kaji_ being brought back, huh?"

That made Misato shut up. _What the…? Damn it! I just don't know! What _would_ I do? I mean…could I really bring myself to let him go…to save a world full of people I don't know?_

"What about Naomi?" Shinji yelled out, tears in his eyes. "Why couldn't _she_ be saved?"

"Her suit was of an earlier design," Gendo frowned. "Her purpose was to test out the model. Eventually, we discovered that it would not preserve the life of the wearer – much to the contrary, as a matter of fact. By then, however, we had perfected our model."

"And you just _let_ it drain her life away?" Shinji demanded. "You've been in contact with me – why didn't you tell me? I could have saved her!"

Gendo smiled. "We still needed _you_ to test our final model. You and your fellow comrades. After we finished the design, we needed you, Miss Katsuragi, to bring the children to us. So, we had ZELLE "find you out" and eliminate your comrades whom we've allowed to "spy" on us. Then, I came to you as the leader of KERN and recruited you for that very job. Now, you've delivered all three test suits to me – all of which have been proven effective and combat ready. And just in time to watch the final part of my plan unfold."

Misato glared at the commanded with hatred in her eyes. "Which is…?"

Gendo smiled. "I will live on forever, Miss Katsuragi – you will too, provided you and the children behave yourselves – and I will not live on alone." He turned his gaze to Shinji. "Why can't you be happy, son? Our family will live on forever after I'm through. All this time, you've longed for your mother. Now…that wish will finally come true."

Shinji's eyes opened wide. He turned to see Rei staring up at the body of Unit 01, and saw the red-yellow LCL pooled at her feet.

"… _Her soul was preserved in the LCL that surrounded Lillith…"_ his father had said.

Shinji gasped under his breath. "…What?"

Gendo smiled. "Yui will come back to us. All these years, she has been watching over you, her soul ever present in the blood of Unit 01. Rei will enter the pool of LCL that came from Unit 01. The LCL will seep into her suit, and meld with her. While Rei's soul is still present in her plug suit, once the ratio of their respective LCL content tips…her body will no longer be inhabited by Rei Ayanami…but by Yui Ikari."

Asuka gasped. "_This_ is your plan? To bring back your dead wife?"

Gendo returned her fiery stare. "And if it were your own mother? Or Mister Kaji? Would you still be so quick to cast aside this line of action?"

Asuka, confounded by her insaneness, found herself at a loss for words.

"We all suffer from the loss of those around us," Gendo said. "My plan is to do away with that loss. In time…we may even be able to tap into the souls of those who weren't even in contact with LCL at the time of their death…and bring back those who have died long ago. Don't you see? This is the solution to sadness and grief. We are all familiar with it. Why be plagued by it, when science has allowed us to prevent it almost fully?"

"Is it…" Shinji stammered. "Is it truly eternal?"

Gendo cast his gaze towards his son. "What?"

Shinji stood up from his beaten position. "How can you possibly know that this method of yours lasts forever? At best, you've only been testing these suits for less than ten years. At best, a human being can live to be 120 years old. These suits may help us live to be a thousand…a million…a billion years old…but eventually, the suits will fail. Nothing, living or not, lasts forever, father. This is a fact that I've come to accept during my time away from NERV. It's a fact you must accept too."

"Shinji's right!" Asuka added. "The suits were made by man. When has anything man has made ever lasted forever?"

"Human beings are supposed to die, Commander!" Misato shouted. "Life is meant to be brief! That's what makes it so precious!"

"Enough!" Gendo sneered. "If it is your belief that humans must die…then you may be the first!"

With a single action, Gendo pressed the kill switch. All three suits shut down. Shinji, burdened by the awesome weight of his suit, crumpled to the floor.

With a single action, Gendo raised pistol towards Asuka, aiming it directly at her forehead.

_No…_Shinji blinked. _He's going to kill her!_

With a single action, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying towards her face.

_I can't move! I can't do anything! Damn it! What am I supposed to do?_

With a single action, Shinji placed himself between Asuka and the bullet's path.

The bullet bounded harmlessly off his armor.

"What?" the Commander gasped. "His plug suit's operational! Dr. Ibuki! Explain this!"

As Maya listed of innumerable reasons as to why what just transpired should not have done so, Shinji was trying to figure out how he had done what he had just done.

"Wha…?"

_I would do anything for you, Master…_ he heard a voice say. _You know that, right?_

Shinji's eyes flew open. "NAOMI?"

_Yes, Master…now come, let us help Miss Ayanami and the others._

Shinji's mind tore itself apart, trying to find answers.

Then it hit him.

"The LCL!" he exclaimed. "When I broke through the glass and grabbed you…the LCL washed over me! It was still a part of you, even if your suit was failing. Once your body died, your…your soul found its way to _my_ suit, which _can_ harbor a soul!" Shinji clutched his heart. "You're still with me, Naomi! You're still watching over me! You're still protecting me!"

Before his father could react, Shinji had plowed into him, ripping the kill switch from his grip. He reactivated Asuka and Misato's suits, before crushing the control in his hand.

"Misato! Asuka! Get Rei!" he commanded.

"No!" Gendo declared, grabbing Shinji and throwing him straight against a wall fifty feet away. "Akagi! Ibuki! Restrain them!"

Ritsuko and Maya obeyed, rushing to intercept Misato and Asuka.

Misato confronted Ritsuko in a catfight to end all catfights. They were wresting each other, matched in strength and speed, their arms locked and pinned together in fierce combat.

"Misato…do you truly mean what you say? Would you refuse Kaji's return? Would you have me – you're best friend – return to hell?"

"You're dead, Ritsuko!" Misato cried. "That's a fact we _both_ have to accept!"

Ritsuko sneered, throwing Misato back.

"Who is he bringing back for you, Ritsu?" Misato demanded. "Is it Naoko?"

"I don't need him to bring back anyone, Misato," she retorted. "It's enough that I may be with him."

"But _he _won't be with _you._ He'll be with _Yui_!"

Ritsuko started, dropping her guard. Misato saw an opening, and landed a lethal blow, shorting the suits life support battery.

"Misato…" Ritsuko sobbed. "I'm sorry…I've been so blind…so conceited…"

Misato shook her head. "We have to end this…now!"

Ritsuko nodded, and, limping, followed Misato to where Asuka and Maya were fighting.

"You can't possibly understand my pain, Asuka!" Maya shrieked, her combat suit giving her equal strength to Asuka, a fiery rage in her eyes. "I am nothing without her, Asuka! I will do anything to keep her alive!"

Asuka grimaced. "Would you just listen to yourself? Have some self-respect, Maya! When those we love die, it may be sad, but you can't let it cripple you! The dead shouldn't be able to control the living!"

Maya shook her head. "I don't care what you think, Asuka. I won't let Sempai die!"

"Maya…that's enough," came the voice of her love.

Instantly, Maya stopped fighting. "Sempai! You… Oh my god! Your suit! The life support battery has been knocked out! Hurry! We have to-"

"No, Maya, stop," Ritsuko ordered.

"W-what?"

"We have to stop this," Ritsuko said. "We've been blinded by our own foolish hopes and desires. We have to do what's right, Maya. Living forever with those we love is not worth twisting human life in order to attain it."

"But Sempai…"

"Enough, Maya…I know how you feel about me, but you must let me go. Don't you see? Human life is only important because of how fleeting it is. As a scientist, as a woman…as a human being, you must understand this!"

Maya allowed the professor to embrace her, as tears fell from her eyes.

"Sempai…I'm so sorry…I couldn't…"

"Hush, Maya…we still have a job to do…"

Misato approached, gently placing her hand on Maya's shoulder. "We have to help Shinji…if we can't, Rei will…"

"I don't want t even think about it!" Asuka piped. "Let's just make sure it _doesn't_ happen!"

Everyone nodded and rushed to where Gendo stood.

By the time they reached the Commander, Shinji had returned, locking him into a bear hug grip.

"I won't let you do this, father!" Shinji shouted.

"Remove yourself from me, Shinji!" Gendo commanded. "Rei! Enter the LCL!"

"Yes sir," she replied, quietly.

"Rei, no!" Shinji screamed. "Don't do it!"

"Do not disobey me, First Child! Enter the pool!"

"Please, Rei!"

Rei hesitated, her foot barely above the pool.

"Rei, I _command_ you to enter the pool!"

"You can't do it, Rei! You just can't!"

"Rei, if ever I needed your cooperation more than any time before, _now _is that time! _Enter the pool!_"

"Rei, STOP!"

It was too late. Rei had pitched herself forward. Her center of gravity shifted, and she fell face first into…

A blur of red suddenly swooped by.

…into Asuka's outstretched arms.

"Hey, Wonder Girl…" Asuka smiled.

In reply, Rei broke out of Asuka's arms, striking her firmly in the chest, sending her crashing backwards.

Asuka huffed, leaping towards her, prepared to fight.

But Rei's aim was not to fight, but to reach the LCL and submerge herself into it.

Asuka managed to reach her and get a solid grip on her. "Hey, you stupid doll! I'm talking to you! If you want to just do whatever the Commander tells you to do, that's fine! But you're going to have to go through me to do it!"

Rei didn't respond. Instead, she tugged her arm, trying to get free, wriggling herself, desperately trying to release Asuka's hold.

"No…" Gendo grimaced. "I've been denied for so long…I will not be denied again!"

Gendo finally managed to break free of Shinji's monstrous deadlock, hurdling towards his hope, slamming Asuka away.

"Now!" the Commander shouted at Rei. "Go!"

That was all he could get before Misato and Maya both grabbed him, holding him down. Neither, however could do anything to stop Rei.

That's when Shinji interposed himself.

"Rei! Stop!"

Rei said nothing. Instead, she strafed along the coast, trying to find a way past him. Shinji, however, kept pace with her, preventing her from entering.

"Rei, please! Listen to me! You have to stop this now!"

He received only silence in return; her soul was already so diminished, that she could scarcely think.

"Please, Rei!" Shinji hollered. "Think for yourself! Do you really want to die just to be a vessel for someone else? Must it really come to that? Just because you feel as if you must obey my father?"

Rei's eyes were unwaveringly on her target.

"Rei…" Shinji sobbed. "I've known you for so long! I don't want to see you disappear! I don't want to see you get sucked away! And I don't want to see you do it just because you were my father's doll!"

Rei blinked.

"So please, Rei…just STOP!"

Rei stopped running.

Shinji stopped running.

Both stood still, staring at each other.

"Ikari…" Rei said, finally.

"I'm here, Rei…I'm here…"

Gendo stared in disbelief as his one and only hope embraced with his son, and forsook his word.

"NO!" he blared.

With a powerful burst of strength, he shook free of Misato and Maya's grip. Then a cold grip shot into his back.

"Hello, Commander," Ritsuko's cool voice said. "I think it's about time this came to an end."

Gendo looked down.

Ritsuko's hand had punched into his back, through his suit and out his chest. The life support battery between his shoulder blades was shattered.

"Akagi…" Gendo gasped. "Defiant to the last…"

She pulled her hand from his body. "And finally free."

Gendo coughed up blood, and sputtered. "Sorry to disappoint you…but I had different plans in mind…"

With a feat of will power, unfathomable in his state, he rushed the embracing couple by the shore, plowing into them hard.

"Shinji!"

"Rei!"

"Commander!"

"No!"

The momentum carried all three off the edge and into the LCL.

xxxxx

Shinji kicked his father away from them, his arms still around Rei's body.

_Forgive me, Ayanami…_ he thought, silently.

In a single action, he ripped the life support battery off her back.

The commander's lifeless body drifted away. With his battery dead, the LCL could not fuse with his suit. And with Rei's battery gone, that left only one suit for Yui's soul to inhabit.

_Who is there?_ A voice muttered.

_Master? I feel strange. Something is trying to displace me._

_Shinji…_ The voice said. _Can it really be you?_

_Master, help me! I'm disappearing!_

_Stop it, both of you!_ Shinji growled. _Mother…I've missed you terribly…but it's too late for you to come back. I've had to let you go, Mom…and I can't accept you now._

_Shinji…_

_No… It's good to speak with you one last time…but I have to say goodbye; Naomi…you too._

_Master?_

_This sick, twisted charade of life cannot be allowed to contain you. You…deserve better than that._

_Master…_

_Naomi…couldn't you…just this once…call me by name?_

…_Alright…Shinji…_

_I love you, Naomi…_

_Oh, Shinji…I love you too!_

_Goodbye, Naomi…my loyal companion…_

_Goodbye…Shinji…_

xxxxx

"Breathe!"

Shinji felt a sudden, sharp pain in chest, and a pair of lips pressed against his. Then, he coughed up a mouthful of water, and sat up suddenly.

"He's alive!" The redheaded resuscitator yelped.

Shinji opened his eyes, and saw Asuka and Misato kneeling over him, staring hard at his face. They had rescued both him and Rei from the LCL.

"Oh Shinji!" Misato gasped, collapsing over him.

"Misato…" he muttered. "I…I…Rei's suit…I removed the battery…she's dying…I had to…It was the only…"

Misato sobbed. "Yes, Shinji…you did the right thing…"

Misato let Shinji up to see Rei lying beside him, still somehow clinging to life.

"Ikari…" she muttered.

"Rei…" Shinji sobbed. "I'm sorry…but I had no other choice…"

Rei nodded. "I understand, Ikari…and I thank you…"

Shinji broke down, collapsing into a river of tears, as he clutched her dying body.

"Oh, Rei…after everything I did…I couldn't even save you…"

She sighed, placing her hand on his cheek. "Yes you have, Ikari…yes you have…"

Shinji said nothing as Rei's body became cold in his arms.

He stood, after a while, his tears spent and worn.

"I'm sorry, Shinji," Asuka muttered. "I'm sorry you had to…experience it again…"

Shinji sniffed back his tears. "It's okay…I think I'm okay now."

Misato placed her hands on Shinji's shoulders. "You aren't the only one…"

Shinji looked on, and saw Maya crying over Ritsuko's body.

The three of them stepped over to her, Asuka placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You can still honor her by atoning for your sins, Maya," Asuka said. "I think she would want it."

Maya stood up after a while, before turning. "Yes…I think she would."

xxxxx

The complete and total destruction of the Geo-Front was a site to be seen. Once they had left, Maya had triggered the facility's self destruct mechanism, which in turn, shook the Earth's crust enough to let lava spill, engulfing the entire city in hot magma.

Hovering over the volcanic eruption in the VERSTAND VTOL, Shinji, Misato, Asuka and Maya watched as their companions were laid to their final resting place.

They had each removed their combat suits almost instantly upon their return. They were placed into the VTOL's cold storage room until they could be taken to VERTAND for deconstruction.

"I still wonder if we made the right decision," Shinji said. They were all wrapped in towels, having worn nothing beneath their suits. "You know…about living forever? Maybe my father had the right idea. Maybe living forever would take away all the hardships we have to deal with in life. Certainly, we could gain considerable wisdom from an infinite lifespan. I don't know…did we make the right decision?"

Misato patted him on the back. "If human beings could live forever…they would stop being human beings."

Maya nodded. "There are certain sins, certain temptations…they can sound so appealing…but if you think it all the way through, you can come to realize that they are inherently wrong."

Shinji nodded. "You're right."

xxxxx

Asuka was strangely silent as the VTOL sped away to Germany. She had seen Shinji's connection with so many people that day. She was fraught with strange inclination that Shinji would be better off with any one of them.

_Misato is such a smart, caring person…and she's practically a mother to him. Naomi and Rei were so close to him, meant so much to him, and were so attached to him…it makes me look like a nobody. Even Maya treats him the way he deserves to be treated. What good am I to him?_

She turned her gaze to him; he looked so much the way Rei used to, his attention fixed on some lost point outside his window. She couldn't deny the inherent longing she felt for him – not that she'd admit it to him, of course. But how was she to act on it? More importantly, how would he? Could he, after everything that's happened? Did she have a right to ask it of him after all this?

"Asuka?" Shinji asked.

Asuka practically jumped out of her chair. "What?"

"You've been staring at me for the past minute," Shinji said. "Is something wrong?"

Asuka blinked. "Oh…I have? Sorry, I was…my mind was wandering…"

Shinji nodded. "Okay."

Asuka got up and sat by him.

"Things will get better, Shinji, don't worry," Asuka assured.

Shinji nodded. "I hope so. It's just that…well…things just seem so empty now…"

Asuka hesitated before wrapping her arms around him.

"Asuka…? What…?"

"Shh…" Asuka hushed. "Can you just let me stay like this for a while?"

Shinji blinked to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. "Umm…sure…"

They both stayed that way, gazing out the window, over the sea.

"Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind…if I stay over again tonight? I don't…I don't want to have to be alone again."

Shinji stared hard at the girl who, before, never revealed her weaknesses. Shinji chided himself – just because she didn't reveal her weaknesses didn't mean they weren't still visible. Shinji had known her long enough to see them. And now, they were just too many and too heavy for her to contain.

Shinji tightened his grip around her. "I'd…I'd like that."

xxxxx

_One week later…_

Asuka and Shinji awoke in each other's arms. The midmorning sun cast a gentle glow over the room, lighting up their house and their lives.

The two emerged to greet the day, lightheartedly going about their morning activities, before descending to the breakfast room where a troubling amount of smoke was pouring into from the kitchen.

"Uhh…Misato? Is everything alright in there?" Shinji called.

"Oh!" Misato's voice could be heard stammering. "Y-yes, Shinji! Everything's fine!"

"You've ruined breakfast again, haven't you?" Shinji sighed.

"Define 'ruined.'"

With her past occupation no longer existent, Shinji was giving Misato a trial offer as his new housekeeper.

As decision that, based on past experience, was not the smartest move.

The doorbell rang, and Misato answered the door. "Oh, hi Maya!"

"Hello, Misato…are Shinji and Asuka ready?"

"Just a moment, let me-"

"We're ready," Shinji said, as he and Asuka stepped out.

The four of them made their way to a limo waiting for them. The limo climbed the same hill Naomi made the fearless leap off of. Only this time, there would be no ZELLE attackers chasing after them

Upon their return, VERSTSAND had been informed of ZELLE's and KERN's influences. Thankfully, Maya had full access to everything, and with her help, VERSTAND quickly resolved the matter. The "Cell" and "Nucleus" organizations were no more, as were the suits that they had influenced VERSTAND into making.

Shinji, Asuka, Misato, and Maya stood above three graves. Besides the tombstone marked KYOKO ZEPPELIN SORYU was RITSUKO AKAGI and REI AYANAMI and GENDO IKARI.

No words were said; they just stood there, silently revering their fallen companions, mourning their loss, and thanking their influence.

And as the sun continued to rise in the eastern sky, they each stood stall, knowing that they would go on for as long as they could. The dead would continue to rest; it was best to give them the peace in which to do so.

Humans die - it's part of life. But those that survive are meant to go on and continue. It is enough that they remember those lost, and honor their memory by learning from their mistakes, upholding their beliefs and wishes, and continuing the circle.

People usually die as they have lived. Heroes die heroically, and cowards die cowardly.

xxxxx

A/N: Well, I'm finally finished. Too tired to write more. Tell me what you think.


End file.
